PA Distributing 250,000 Coronavirus Antigen Tests Across State

PENNSYLVANIA — A quarter million coronavirus antigen test kits are being distributed across Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf said Wednesday.

The federal government gave 250,000 kits to be given to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-certified institutions.

Officials Wednesday said distribution is starting in Bradford, Centre, Lebanon, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill and Snyder counties because of the recent high disease incidence rate in these areas.

Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments -certified sites include:

• Long-Term Care Facilities;
• Personal care homes and Assisted Living/Intermediate Care facilities;
• Higher-education institutions;
• Drug and Alcohol and Behavioral Health treatment centers;
• State and county correctional facilities;
• Healthcare providers:
  • Federally Qualified Health Centers;
  • Urgent Care Centers;
  • Pharmacies; and
  • Primary Care doctors.

The antigen test detects an antigen on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus while the Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test detects viral RNA.

PCR and antigen tests can detect active infection and are considered diagnostic.

Antigen tests can be considered for symptomatic individuals — within the first five to seven days of symptom onset depending upon the test — in settings where there is a high probability that the individual or population to be tested is positive.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health is expecting to get hundreds of thousands of tests over the coming weeks from the federal government. Once they are received, officials will distribute the kits to counties in need.

The targeted populations will be tested at CLIA-certified sites that directly receive these test kits and can provide timely test results and health care advice to individuals being tested.
Targeted populations include:

• Individuals in congregate care settings;
• Day care workers or clients;
• K-12 students and adults who work in K-12 settings;
• College and university students;
• Individuals without permanent housing;
• Food distribution facility employees;
• Food workers, and
• First responders.

The Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine also issued an order to laboratories, health care practitioners, health care providers and facilities reinforcing that all antigen test results, both positive and negative, are required to be reported to the Department of Health.

A patient with a positive antigen test result is considered a case and receives a complete case investigation and contact tracing.