What is the difference between confirmed and probable COVID-19 test results?
Manitowoc County Health Officer Stephanie Lambert say that “Confirmed cases are those that have been diagnosed with a PCR test and sent to a laboratory to be processed and considered to be the ‘gold standard’ of COVID 19 testing. Probable cases are those that have been diagnosed with a rapid test-also known as an antigen test which gives you results in minutes. Both are very accurate in diagnosing positive tests; however, rapid tests are more likely to miss the virus and produce false negatives.”
Lambert also explained that the rapid tests were rarely used at the beginning of the pandemic therefore not always reported to the public. However, “As testing has expanded and diversified more are being done rapidly. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities use the rapid testing method which is part of the reason that one in five COVID-19 related deaths in Manitowoc County are labeled as probable.” As of Wednesday, Manitowoc County had reported nearly 1200 probable cases of COVID-19 during the pandemic. 67 deaths have been attributed to complications associated with the virus. Although deaths have declined dramatically, the County’s top Health Official remains a staunch advocate of masking, social distancing, and washing your hands frequently.
