MINNEAPOLIS _ Twenty-nine COVID-19 deaths and 1,214 confirmed infections were reported by the Minnesota Department of Health on Wednesday along with a new category of probable infections based on antigen diagnostic testing.
The state as of Wednesday tallied 115,763 total infections with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 that were confirmed through standard molecular PCR testing and another 180 probable infections verified since Sept. 1 through antigen testing.
The COVID-19 death toll has now reached 2,180, including six deaths with probable links to COVID-19 via antigen testing. The death count on Wednesday was the highest single-day total reported by the state since June 4 and was still the highest total since June 12 even if omitting the deaths linked to COVID-19 through antigen testing.
State health officials have warned that rising infection counts in the late summer would eventually lead to more hospitalizations and deaths. The 487 Minnesotans admitted to hospitals for COVID-19 in the seven-day period ending Oct. 11 was the highest total since the first peak of the pandemic in late May.
PCR testing is considered the most accurate diagnostic approach _ breaking down patients' nasal or saliva samples into genetic components and then reproducing viral RNA _ while antigen testing looks for evidence of proteins produced by the spread of the virus
While antigen testing is faster and gaining broader use in Minnesota, state health officials said they wanted to report the test results with caution because antigen tests have higher error rates.
"Federal officials have embraced antigen tests and are aggressively encouraging states and institutions across the country to use them," Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm said in a written statement. "We believe it's a good idea to add this equipment to our tool kit as long as we keep the information in proper context."
Antigen testing has gained particular use in Minnesota's long-term care facilities, it they can quickly indicate a potential outbreak. The majority of COVID-19 deaths in Minnesota _ including 11 reported Wednesday _ have occurred in long-term care and assisted-living facilities, where people are at greater risk of severe illness due to their advanced age or underlying health problems.
While state health officials recommend confirmatory PCR testing in certain situations, they noted that antigen testing is reliable enough to at least include in Minnesota's total COVID-19 case count. Some proponents argue that antigen testing might be less accurate but is actually better than PCR testing at finding people who not only carry the virus but are actively infectious to others.
Gov. Tim Walz noted in a Tuesday media briefing that Minnesota just received 110,000 BinaxNOW rapid antigen tests and that he talked with the chief executive from manufacturer Abbott Labs about how to use them most effectively in response to the pandemic.
Walz's comments came amid an announcement of Minnesota's expanded use of saliva-based PCR testing that will produce faster results for people wanting to know if they have COVID-19. The state has a free test site in Duluth already and is adding new sites in Winona, Moorhead and Brooklyn Park _ along with a lab in Oakdale that will be able to process up to 30,000 saliva samples per day.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 is primarily spread from the droplets of people speaking, singing or breathing at others nearby. State health officials recommend mask-wearing, maintaining a social distance of 6 feet from others in public, washing hands and staying home when sick to reduce the spread of the virus.
"It is very important to understand that testing _ even rapid testing _ is not a substitute for other preventative actions," said Kris Ehresmann, state infectious disease director. "Tests can have false positives or negatives, and people can develop illness after they are tested."
