Utah pausing use of rapid antigen tests at state sites

The Utah Department of Health has announced it will pause its use of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests at state sites. 

In a statement on Monday, UDOH said that state-operated sites, including those run by mobile test teams, TestUtah and TourHealth, will start to offer at-home tests to residents who receive a PCR test but may also want to receive results faster. 

Residents who have received negative rapid tests from state-sponsored locations between Feb. 2 and Feb. 6 should consider returning to one of the sites and be retested with a PCR test, it said. Residents can request an at-home test kit at one of the sites as well. 

“Within the past few weeks, UDOH mobile test teams began using the GenBody rapid antigen test. These teams reported a trend of higher-than-expected negative results from this specific rapid antigen test. This prompted our analysis across a broader timeline and the results motivated our decision to temporarily pause the use of this test,” UDOH state epidemiologist Leisha Nolen said in a statement. 

“This step is necessary to ensure people receive accurate test results,” she added. 

UDOH epidemiologists analyzed test results from almost 18,000 residents who received both the GenBody rapid antigen and PCR tests on the same day, according to the statement. 

UDOH’s analysis also showed positive rapid tests were extremely reliable, meaning if someone tests positive on a rapid test, they do not need to question the result, the statement noted.