MORE CLINICS in region offer rapid covid-19 testing.

FAYETTEVILLE — Antigen tests, which can detect covid-19 within an hour, are becoming more widely available to Northwest Arkansas residents.

Washington Regional Medical System began offering covid-19 antigen testing at several of its clinics this week, according to Natalie Hardin, spokeswoman.

“The antigen test can be used for symptomatic individuals and is available at the discretion of our providers. A positive antigen test means that a patient has or has had covid-19, and no further testing is necessary,” Hardin said.

The Arkansas Department of Health recommends all negative antigen tests be confirmed by a molecular, polymerase chain reaction test before the patient leaves the clinic. A polymerase test is also available at these clinics and is used for symptomatic and asymptotic individuals, Hardin said.

Polymerase chain reaction tests and antigen tests can detect covid-19.

Results from antigen tests take less than an hour compared to days for polymerase tests.

Likewise, Mercy Health System recently began offering antigen tests at several of its clinics and will make it available at more clinics within the next week, according to Jennifer Cook, spokeswoman. The antigen tests are only for patients with covid-19 symptoms.

Symptoms of covid- 19 include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Both antigen and most PCR tests are done via nasal swabs.

The latter requires a long swab far up the nose, while antigen tests require swabbing the front of the inside of the nose.

The number of cumulative covid-19 cases in Benton and Washington counties increased about 1,000 within the past week, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. Cases had increased by about 700 the week before.

Washington County had 10,748 cumulative cases as of 5:15 p.m. Friday, compared with 10,171 on Oct. 9. Active cases increased from 515 to 612.

Cases as of Friday included 9,858 confirmed cases and 890 probable cases.

Benton County had 7,512 cumulative cases as of 5:15 p.m. Friday, compared with 7,065 on Oct. 9. Active cases increased from 396 to 424. Cases as of Friday included 7,057 confirmed cases and 455 probable cases.

“A positive antigen test means that a patient has or has had covid-19, and no further testing is necessary.” — Natalie Hardin, spokeswoman, Washington Regional Medical System

A total of 88,033 PCR tests and 1,831 antigen tests been done among Benton County residents, while 95,563 PCR tests and 5,177 antigen tests have been done among Washington County residents, according to the department.

The state Health Department began doing PCR tests May 18 at county health units and now also offers antigen at all of its local county health units. The department has heath units in Fayetteville, Rogers and Siloam Springs.

The Washington County health units collected 16,798 specimens, and the Benton County health units collected 5,945 as of Thursday, according to the department. The data includes both PCR and antigen tests.

Washington Regional Health System collected 20,011 specimens to be tested from people from March 16 through Thursday, according to Natalie Hardin, spokeswoman. The data includes PCR and antigen tests performed at its covid-19 screening clinics and primary care clinics. It doesn’t include specimens collected at Washington Regional’s urgent care clinics throughout the region.

Hospitals in Benton and Washington counties had 52 patients in covid-19 units as of Friday, according to data available from the region’s largest health care organizations by Martine Pollard, a spokeswoman at Mercy Health System. The number of hospitalized covid-19 patients has bounced around between 50 and 59 over the past week.

The highest number of hospitalized covid-19 patients the region was 113 patients on July 7.

Thirty-five patients in the region were on ventilators. The number includes patients with and without covid-19, according to the statement.

The four largest school districts in Northwest Arkansas reported 79 virus cases in the past week.

Rogers Public Schools had 139 cases, an increase of 24 since Oct. 9. The district had 407 people in quarantine as of Friday, according to the district’s website.

The Springdale district had 214 cases, an increase of 48 since Oct. 9, according to the district’s website.

The districts’ data include students, staff and faculty.

Bentonville’s School District

had 89 covid-19 cases, an increase of six since Oct. 9, according to the district’s website. The district had 128 students and 25 faculty or staff members quarantined and unable to attend school.

The Fayetteville district had 80 staff and faculty members test positive for the virus as of Thursday, an increase of one since Oct. 9. Forty staff and/or faculty and 176 students were in quarantine as

of Thursday, according to the district’s website. The website was not updated to reflect Friday’s data as of 5:40 p.m.