The federal government is sending 2.19 million rapid COVID-19 tests to Arizona, and schools will be among those prioritized for using them, Gov. Doug Ducey announced Tuesday afternoon.

The first shipment of the tests is expected to arrive within the next seven to 10 days. The Abbott rapid point-of-care tests can get results within 15 minutes.

The Arizona Department of Health Services is working with county health departments to prioritize the tests for K-12 schools and facilities like nursing homes where vulnerable individuals live, per Ducey’s office.

The number of tests in the shipment is significant — it’s more than the total number of diagnostic tests completed in Arizona since the pandemic began, state data shows. As of Thursday, 1.45 million diagnostic tests had been completed in Arizona with an overall percent positive of 11.2%. In recent weeks, as infection levels in the state have declined and stabilized, the percent of positive tests has hovered around 4%.

“Arizona is grateful to President Trump for his continued partnership during this pandemic and for once again prioritizing our state,” Ducey said in a written statement.

“These new FDA-approved rapid tests will allow us to quickly identify cases and prevent outbreaks among our most vulnerable citizens. Combined with the PPE, ventilators and health care workers the White House has provided to Arizona, these tests will go a long way in making sure we are able to continue to safely keep Arizona’s economy open.”

Ducey last week announced that Arizona would be giving $6 million in COVID-19 relief dollars to Arizona State University to develop its own rapid point-of-need test.

The ASU test is expected to be developed over the next six months, university officials said last week, and it will be targeted to first responders, health care workers and those in congregate care settings.

Ducey spokesman Patrick Ptak said there’s a difference between the tests coming from the federal government and the ASU tests in development. The ASU tests are “point-of-need,” which means they will test saliva for the presence of the virus on a portable, easy-to-use chip and will be used at a workplace or school.

The rapid antigen tests are “point-of-care,” which means the test will measure if someone is infected with the virus with a nasal swab. Those tests are designed to be used in doctors’ offices or places like schools, Ptak wrote in an email. 

“The Department of Health Services has heard that the saliva based testing is preferred as the testing method by some of our populations,” Ptak wrote.

“The ultimate goal is to have widespread testing with easy access. Having multiple testing formats that are portable and provide rapid results allows for identification of those with COVID-19 and the ability to slow transmission in the community.”

President Donald Trump announced Monday his administration will distribute more than 150 million rapid Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Point of Care tests around the country in the coming weeks and that of those, roughly 50 million tests will target vulnerable communities including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospice care, and tribal nations.

The tests are part of a $760 million contract with Abbott in an initiative led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense. The contract deal was announced in August. 

Some critics have said the number of tests the federal government is sending out is insufficient.

Antigen tests (not related to antibody tests) are a newer type of COVID-19 diagnostic test that uses a nasal swab or other fluid sample to test for current infection. Results are typically produced within 15 minutes. 

A positive antigen test result is considered very accurate, but there’s an increased chance of false-negative results, the Mayo Clinic says. Depending on the situation, Mayo Clinic officials say a doctor may recommend a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to confirm a negative antigen test result.

Reach health care reporter Stephanie Innes at [email protected] or at 602-444-8369. Follow her on Twitter @stephanieinnes.

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