SPRINGDALE — At least 239 Benton and Washington county residents have died of covid-19, including 14 residents at one Springdale nursing home, according to information from the county coroners.
Fourteen residents from the Maples at Har-Ber Meadows have died, according to information available from the Washington County Coroner’s Office. A statement from the nursing home was not available late Friday afternoon.
Antigen tests, which can give covid-19 test results within an hour, are available at several clinics in Northwest Arkansas for people with symptoms of the virus.
Polymerase chain reaction tests, or PCR tests, and antigen tests can detect covid-19.
Results from antigen tests take less than an hour compared to days for polymerase tests.
Antigen tests have an increased chance of false-negative results, meaning it’s possible to be infected but test negative, so the result may need to be confirmed with a polymerase test, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Washington Regional Urgent Care clinics in Bentonville, Springdale, Rogers and Harrison recently began offering the tests.
Dr. Matthew Browning, chief medical officer at Urgent Team, which manages the Washington Regional Urgent Care clinics, explained the antigen tests are for patients who began showing symptoms within five days of the test.
People with symptoms are more likely to have the virus replicating inside their bodies, making it easier for an antigen test to detect a protein associated with the virus, he said. Patients with a negative antigen test will need a follow-up PCR test.
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 CDC.
“Our goal is to pick the right test for the right reason for the patient,” Browning said.
Both antigen and most PCR tests are performed via nasal swabs. The latter requires a long swab far up the nose, while antigen tests require swabbing the
The main benefit of the antigen tests are patients can know faster that they’re positive, meaning they may isolate themselves and avoid spreading the virus sooner. Patients who want a test should schedule an appointment online or call one of the clinics, he said.
The Health Department is also offering antigen as well as PCR testing at all of its local county health units in the state, according to the department.
The department has heath units in Fayetteville, Rogers and Siloam Springs.
The state Health Department began doing PCR tests May 18 at county health units. The Washington County health units collected 16,380 specimens, and the Benton County health units collected 5,762 as of Thursday, according to the department. The data includes both PCR and antigen tests.
Washington Regional Health System collected 18,526 specimens to be tested from people from March 16 through Thursday at its screening clinics, according to Natalie, spokeswoman. Patients are encouraged, but not required, to call before going to the clinics. The data doesn’t include specimens collected at Washington Regional’s urgent care clinics throughout the region. Washington Regional isn’t doing antigen testing at its screening clinics.
Mercy Health System collected 17,366 specimens from patients at its Bentonville screening site as of Wednesday, according to Jennifer Cook, spokeswoman.
“Mercy plans to offer antigen testing as we enter cold and flu season, although Mercy has not received ordered shipments of antigen tests as yet,” according to Cook.
Most Northwest Health Clinics are offering antigen tests for current and new patients. The Northwest Medical Plaza on Airport Road in Bentonville and Northwest Medical Plaza-Eastside in Springdale are offering antigen testing to the general public with an appointment, according to Beth Wright, spokeswoman.
Community Clinic is offering antigen testing at all of its medical clinics and covid-19 screening sites, according to Judd Semingson, chief executive officer of the clinic.
Washington County had 9,763 cumulative cases, including 9,109 confirmed cases and 654 probably cases, as of 5:30 p.m., according to the Arkansas Department of Health. The county had 520 active cases.
Benton County had 6,767 cumulative cases, including 6,519 confirmed cases and 248 probable cases, according to the Health Department. The county had 396 active cases.
A total of 79,692 PCR tests and 741 antigen tests been done among Benton County residents, while a total of 85,674 PCR tests and 2,018 antigen tests have been done among Washington County residents, according to the department.
Hospitals in Benton and Washington counties had 55 patients in covid-19 units as of Thursday, according to data available from the region’s largest health care organizations by Martine Pollard, a spokeswoman at Mercy Health System.
Thirty-six 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 continue to report covid-19 cases.
Rogers Public Schools has had 94 cumulative cases and 343 people in quarantine as of Friday, according to the district’s website.
The Springdale district has had 142 cases, according to the district’s website.
The districts’ data include students, staff and faculty.
Bentonville’s School District had 70 cumulative covid-19 cases, according to the district’s website. The district had 228 students and 15 faculty or staff members who were quarantined and unable to attend school.
The Fayetteville district has had a cumulative 53 students, staff and faculty members test positive for the virus. Twenty-three staff and/ or faculty and 90 students were in quarantine as of Friday, according to the district’s website.
Screening sites
Covid-19 testing and/or screening is available at the following:
• 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.
• Walmart/Quest testing site: 7-9 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays at Walmart Neighborhood Market, 1400 N. Walton Blvd. in Benton-ville. Patients must schedule an appointment through Quest Diagnostic’s online portal, MyQuest-COVIDTest.com or MyQuest app.
• UAMS digital screening: www.uamshealth.com/healthnow.
• 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.
• Washington Regional Corona-virus Screening Center: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Sunday at Washington Regional Urgent Care, 3 E. Appleby Road in Fayetteville.
• Washington Regional Corona-virus 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.
• 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 Spring-dale.
• Washington Regional Family Clinic drive-through screening clinic: 8 a.m.-noon Monday through Friday, 146 Passion Play Road, Suite A in Eureka Springs.
• Arkansas Children’s Hospital hotline for child health: (800) 743-3616.
• 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..
• 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.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas online screening: mana. md/covid-19-screening/.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas fever hotline: (479) 435-2500.
• 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.
• Veterans enrolled in Veterans Affairs health care may call (800) 691-8387.