SPRINGDALE -- A biotechnology company is working to develop antigen tests that can detect covid-19 via saliva.
Both antigen tests and polymerase chain reaction, or PCR tests, are used to test for covid-19. Antigen tests produce faster results, are generally only used on people with symptoms of the virus and have a higher chance of giving false-negative results. 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.
NOWDiagnostics is in the process of developing antigen tests requiring a drop of saliva and is looking for people with covid-19 to participate in a clinical trial so the company can collect data on how accurate its tests are. Participants must be at least 18 and have proof of a positive PCR test, said Beth Cobb, director of operations at NOWDiagnostiscs.
Participants must have experienced their first symptoms within six days. They will be compensated $50.
"We're pushing really hard to get our sensitivity to the point where as soon as onset of symptoms happen, we get positive results on the test," Kevin Clark, chief executive officer at NOWDiagnostics.
Clark said the goal is to make the tests widely available and affordable. The company is able to produce 200,000 and 800,000 tests per month at its manufacturing facility in Springdale with a goal of soon being able to produce 2 million tests per month.
People who would like to participate in the clinical trial may call (844) 966-4530 or email clinicaltrials@nowdx.com.
The number of cumulative covid-19 cases in Benton and Washington counties increased about 1,390 within the past week, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. Cases had increased by about 1,040 the week before.
Washington County had 12,325 cumulative cases as of Friday, compared with 11,717 on Oct. 31. Active cases increased from 621 to 781. Cases as of Friday included 10,941 confirmed cases and 1,384 probable cases.
Benton County had 9,226 cumulative cases as of Friday, compared with 8,441 on Oct. 31. Active cases increased from 639 to 927. Cases as of Friday included 672 confirmed cases and 255 probable cases.
A total of 100,362 PCR tests and 3,876 antigen tests been done among Benton County residents, while 109,505 PCR tests and 8,434 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 17,389 specimens, and the Benton County health units collected 6,260 as of Thursday, according to the department. The data includes both PCR and antigen tests.
Washington Regional Health System collected 22,408 specimens to be tested from people from March 16 through Thursday, according to Cynthia Crowder, 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.
Community Clinic, which offers covid-19 testing at its clinics throughout the region, collected specimens for 21,227 PCR tests and 941 antigen tests as of Thursday, according to Abbie Luzius, community development manager.
Hospitals in Benton and Washington counties had 62 patients in covid-19 units as of Thursday, nine more than the previous Thursday, according to data available from the region's largest health care organizations by Martine Pollard, a spokeswoman at Mercy Health System. The highest number of hospitalized covid-19 patients the region was 113 patients on July 7.
Thirty-two 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 188 new virus cases in the past week. They reported 143 cases the week before.
Rogers Public Schools had 265, an increase of 66 within the past week. The district had 843 people in quarantine as of Friday, according to the district's website. The districts' data include students, staff and faculty.
The Springdale district had 406, an increase of 78 in the past week, according to the district's website. Springdale had 987 students in quarantine and 61 faculty or staff members in quarantine in addition to those who tested positive.
Bentonville's School District had 143 covid-19 cases, an increase of 17 since in the past week, according to the district's website. The district had 490 students and 21 faculty or staff members quarantined and unable to attend school.
The Fayetteville district had 150 staff and faculty members test positive for the virus as of Friday, an increase of 27 in the past week. Fifty staff and/or faculty and 318 students were in quarantine as of Friday, according to the district's website.
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Covid-19 testing
The following offer both antigen tests and polymerase chain reaction, or PCR tests for covid-19.
• Washington County Health Unit: 3270 Wimberly Drive in Fayetteville. Patients should call (479) 521-8181 to make an appointment.
• Benton County Health Unit: 1200 W. Walnut St., Suite 2200 in Rogers. Patients should call (479) 986-1300 to make an appointment.
• Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 1301 S. Walton Blvd. in Bentonville.
• Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday., 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 808 U.S. 65 in Harrison.
• Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 2301 W. Pleasant Grove Road, Suite 101 in Rogers.
• Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 3300 W. Sunset Ave. in Springdale.
• Washington Regional Urgent Care, 3 E. Appleby Road, Suite 101 in Fayetteville. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Appointments are not required.
• Washington Regional Internal Medicine Associates, 688 Millsap Road, Suite 100 in Fayetteville. 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday. Appointments are required.
• Washington Regional Shiloh Clinic, 513 N. Shiloh St. in Springdale. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Appointments are required.
• Washington Regional East Springdale Family Clinic, 1607 S. Old Missouri Road in Springdale. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday. Appointments are required.
• Washington Regional Farmington Family Clinic, 199 E. Main St. in Farmington. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-noon. Friday. Appointments are required.
• West Washington County Clinic inside Lincoln Middle School, 201 E. School St. in Lincoln. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday. Appointments are required.
• Washington Regional Crossroads Family Clinic, U.S. 62 North, Harrison. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Friday. Appointments are required.
• Washington Regional Eureka Springs Family Clinic, 146 Passion Play Road in Eureka Springs. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Appointments are required for testing in the clinic. Drive-through antigen testing is available 8 a.m.-noon Monday through Friday. An appointment is not necessary for drive-through testing.
• Community Clinic Siloam Springs Medical: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 500 S. Mount Olive St., No. 200 in Siloam Springs.
• Community Clinic Rogers Medical: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1233 W. Poplar St. in Rogers.
• Community Clinic Springdale Medical and Pediatrics: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 614 E. Emma Ave., Suite 300 in Springdale.
• Community Clinic Fayetteville Medical: 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 3162 W. Martin Luther King Blvd., Suites 13 and 14.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Family Medicine South: 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 2523 E. Huntsville Road in Fayetteville.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Family Medicine: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1109 S. West End St. in Springdale. Patients must call (479) 750-3630 to make an appointment.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Family Medicine Pinnacle Hills: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 3730 Pinnacle Hills Parkway, Suite 2 in Rogers. Patients must make an appointment by calling (479) 464-5599.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Urgent Care Wedington: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Sunday, 1188 N. Salem Road, Suite 6 in Fayetteville.
• Northwest Arkansas Pediatrics: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 3380 N. Futrall Drive in Fayetteville. Patients should call (479) 442-7322 to schedule a telemedicine screening appointment.
• MedExpress Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m., 1160 S. 40th St. in Springdale. Patients must call (479) 750-2971 to make an appointment.
• Northwest Medical Center: 601 S.W. Regional Airport Blvd. in Bentonville. Patients may call (479) 306-7507.
• Northwest Medical Center: 2158 Butterfield Coach Road, Suite 100 in Springdale. Patients may call (479) 306-7507.
• Mercy Coronavirus Evaluation Site: Mercy Convenient Care, 3101 S.E. 14th St. in Bentonville. Patients must call (479) 717-7585 beforehand to make an appointment to be screened.
• Mercy Clinic Convenient Care: 3101 Southeast 14th St. in Bentonville.
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 2900 Southeast Moberly Lane in Bentonville.
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 1 Mercy Way in Bella Vista.
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 4600 Mercy Lane, Suite 140 in Springdale.
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 1000 Southeast 13th Court in Bentonville.
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 1401 N. Walton Blvd. in Bentonville.
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 1225 E. Centerton Blvd. in Centerton.
• Mercy Clinic Family Medicine: 613 N. Second St. in Rogers.
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 200 Carr St. in Pea Ridge.
• Mercy Clinic Pediatrics: 3101 Southeast 14th St. in Bentonville.
• Mercy Clinic Pediatrics: 4100 Southwest I St., Suite 100, in Bentonville.
• Mercy Clinic Pediatrics/Mercy Clinic Family Medicine: 325 S. Sixth Place in Lowell.
• Mercy Clinic Internal Medicine – 52nd Street
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 4100 Southwest I St., Suite 200, in Bentonville
• Mercy Clinic Family Medicine and Obstetrics: 2708 S. Rife Medical Lane, Suite 130, in Rogers.
The following offer polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests for covid-19. These clinics may not offer antigen tests.
• Mercy GoHealth Urgent Care: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Sunday, 2012 S. Promenade Blvd. in Rogers. Patients may walk in or make an appointment.
• Mercy GoHealth Urgent Care: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Sunday, 4962 Elm Springs Road, Suite 5 in Springdale. Patients may walk in or make an appointment.
• Mercy GoHealth Urgent Care: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Sunday, 3391 N. College Ave. in Fayetteville. Patients may walk in or make an appointment.
• Walmart/Quest testing site: 7-9 a.m. Thursday and Friday at Walmart Neighborhood Market, 1400 N. Walton Blvd. in Bentonville. Patients must schedule an appointment through Quest Diagnostic’s online portal, MyQuestCOVIDTest.com or MyQuest app.
• Washington Regional Coronavirus Screening Center: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Sunday at Washington Regional Urgent Care, 3 E. Appleby Road in Fayetteville.
• Washington Regional Coronavirus Screening Center: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 3318 N. North Hills Blvd. in Fayetteville.
Screening
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas online screening: mana.md/covid-19-screening/.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas fever hotline: (479) 435-2500.
• Veterans enrolled in Veterans Affairs health care may call (800) 691-8387.
• UAMS digital screening: www.uamshealth.com/….
• UAMS hotline: (800) 632-4502.
• Washington Regional hotline: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, (479) 463-2055.
• Arkansas Children’s Hospital hotline for child health: (800) 743-3616.
Alex Golden may be reached by email at agolden@nwadg.com.