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Rapid antigen tests still not counted toward local COVID numbers—but that could change

Rapid antigen tests are popular because they return results in 15 minutes. But positive results are considered "probable" rather than "confirmed," per CDC guidelines.
When the University of Texas at Austin hosted its first home football game of the season, administrators required student attendees to be tested for COVID-19 before entering the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Of the 1,198 students who were tested that day, 95 returned positive results, according to a university spokesperson. But none of these cases were logged on the Austin-Travis County COVID-19 dashboard or counted toward official totals.
Why?
Because the tests used at the game were rapid antigen tests. Like the genetic, or polymerase chain reaction, tests offered by Austin Public Health and other providers, these tests detect active COVID infections. They also provide results in 15 minutes, bypassing the need for processing at clinical labs, which can lead to wait times of up to two weeks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that positive rapid antigen test results be considered "probable" rather than "confirmed" because they are marginally less sensitive than genetic tests.
As a result, the Texas Department of State Health Services and Austin Public Health do not count positive rapid antigen test results toward their official "confirmed" caseload or consider them when calculating the local positivity rate.
Austin Public Health did not respond to multiple inquiries about how many rapid antigen tests have been conducted locally. Austonia has filed a public records request for more information.
State data indicates that rapid antigen tests make up a small portion of the tests administered in Texas.
DSHS began reporting the number of antigen tests administered on Aug. 6; since then, just over 71,000 tests have been conducted. In that same time period, DSHS reports around 1.7 million genetic tests and more than 128,000 antibody, or serology, tests have been administered.
Some private testing sites, however, only offer rapid antigen tests or report more demand for them compared to other kinds of tests because of the convenience they offer.
Tarrytown Pharmacy has offered rapid antigen tests since mid-July, Pharmacist-In-Charge Rannon Ching said, and demand has remained steady, despite the deflated surge.
UT students whose parents were concerned about case clusters on campus have sought out testing, as have Austinites who want assurance they can see parents and grandparents for the first time since the pandemic and aren't putting them at risk, Ching said. The local business, which has two locations, has also coordinated with companies and restaurants that seek testing for their employees.
"I would say demand is up," Ching said.
Other private testing sites have seen similar trends.
At Total Men's Primary Care, which has 16 locations in and around Austin, demand for genetic tests is down because of the long turnaround times, CEO Robert Sek told Austonia last month.
Similarly, Texas MedClinic COO David Gude has said rapid antigen tests are the clear favorite among patients at its 19 Central Texas locations. Genetic test results, which may be required for patients traveling abroad or awaiting surgery, tend only to be requested when an agency or entity is requiring them, he added.
This summer, Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott floated the idea of offering rapid antigen tests at public testing sites.
At the time, slow turnaround times for genetic tests were interfering with containment efforts. Residents were waiting up to two weeks to get results at the height of the local surge; by the time they learned they were positive, some had already recovered—and missed the chance to avoid infecting others.
"It's not quite as accurate as the regular (genetic) testing that we send off to labs, but it's probably good enough," he told Travis County Commissioners on July 28. "So we can get a whole lot better control over this for future outbreaks than sending off tests that are going to take three or four or 10 days."
APH has not added rapid antigen tests to its repertoire in the time since.
But Escott has hinted at the possibility of more rapid antigen testing data in the short term.
"I expect that we may see some changes in how the state and federal government want to treat those cases (indicated by rapid antigen test results)," he said during a press conference on Sept. 18. "But for now, we're looking at options to display both the probable and the confirmed (cases)."
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Popular
Austin FC kept rival FC Dallas to a draw Saturday night as it pulled off a 2-2 comeback. (Austin FC/Twitter)
Despite a 2-0 deficit, there was a pot of gold for Austin FC after all as it celebrated its annual Pride Night with rainbows and a 2-2 comeback draw to FC Dallas Saturday night.
After three FC Dallas losses last season, the Dallas derby draw marks the first time Austin FC has tied against its Copa Texas rival. Austin continues to edge over FC Dallas as it sits at 3rd in the MLS West.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the match:
A somber start
¡Ya Basta! Enough! End Gun Violence. #uvaldestrong
— Los Verdes (@LosVerdesATX) June 26, 2022
📷 @arubiophotospic.twitter.com/3PiVdTPtik
Decked out in colorful hues for LBGTQ+ Pride, Verde fans started the match on a somber note as they held up banners to take a stand against gun violence before the match.
As the national anthem began, fans held up banners with the names of each child that was killed in the Uvalde school shooting and a plea to "end gun violence."
The supporters' section was also dotted with Pride flags and a "Bans off Our Bodies" banner in protest of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
(Claire Partain/Austonia)
(Claire Partain/Austonia)
FC Dallas earns a 2-0 lead
Paul Arriola is there to put it away and put @FCDallas ahead! pic.twitter.com/Z4AMmM6lp3
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
That sober tone continued onto the pitch. With midfielder Daniel Pereira's absence due to a red card, the Verde and Black lost two goals to FC Dallas by the 70th minute of play.
FC Dallas played it sneaky for the first half of the match, giving Austin FC plenty of room to hold possession as it waited to strike on a Verde error. That mentality proved dangerous for Austin as Dallas' Paul Arriola took advantage of Brad Stuver's deflection to score the first goal of the night in the 57th minute of play.
Dallas struck once more as Brandon Servant pushed past the Verde line to score the second goal of the match.
#DTID double their lead!
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
The substitute Brandon Servania with a fine finish within five minutes of coming on. 💥 pic.twitter.com/IZm0YsPxG5
Austin FC strikes back
Sebastián Driussi pulls one back!#AustinFC are still in this one. 👀 pic.twitter.com/Yoi0x768jb
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
But energy quickly returned to Austin's favor thanks to Designated Player Sebastian Driussi, who scooted past several FC Dallas defenders alongside Moussa Djitte to snag an unlikely first goal for Austin.
A full Verde comeback
Late drama in this Texas Derby!@AustinFC ties it up, Danny Hoesen with the diving header. 😱 pic.twitter.com/Jk2f4fIEXG
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
Austin's subs proved deadly as momentum returned to the home team toward the end of the match. A well-placed cross from Nick Lima—and a diving header from a fresh-legged Danny Hoesen—helped the team secure the draw with a second Verde goal in the 84th minute of play.
Hoesen, who was Austin's first starting striker last season, has now scored two goals with the team after a yearlong injury stuck him on the bench.
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(Bob Daemmrich)
Hours following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion, on Friday, about 1,000 people gathered in Republic Square with signs calling for change.
The rally, organized by the group Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights Texas, started at the federal courthouse on Republic Square on Friday at 5 p.m. before the crowd marched to the Texas Capitol. More protests are expected to ensue over the weekend.
People showed up with all types of signs like Mindy Moffa holding up, "Keep your filthy laws off my silky drawers."
Austin joined cities across the country that saw protests for a women's right to an abortion after the ruling.
According to a recent UT poll, 78% of Texas voters support abortion access in most cases.
Sabrina Talghade and Sofia Pellegrini held up signs directed at Texas laws. A Texas trigger law will ban all abortions from the moment of fertilization, starting 30 days after the ruling. When state legislators passed the trigger law last summer, it also passed laws for more protection of firearms, including the right to open carry without a permit.
Lili Enthal of Austin yells as around 1,000 Texans marched to the Texas Capitol.
From the Texas Capitol, Zoe Webb lets her voice be heard against the Supreme Court ruling.
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