COLUMBUS (WCMH) — As COVID-19 testing increases with the latest wave of new infections, the need for different testing options has become increasingly critical as well.

Ohio health officials cleared a backlog of more than 12,000 positive antigen tests on Tuesday, leading to higher than usual numbers of new infections.

Not previously counted by the CDC in new infection numbers, antigen tests are critical to diagnosing the current pandemic landscape.

“There still is limitations with testing reagent when it comes to PCR testing, and the most valuable test result is when you get it, really, in real time, right away,” says Dr. Joseph Gastaldo from OhioHealth.

Now, more people are relying on antigen testing to diagnose new infections — a quicker, more cost-effective option.

“You get your results back in hours compared to, sometimes, days for PCR tests,” Gastaldo explains.

But when it comes to antigen testing, medical experts say the quicker results don’t necessarily make for more accurate detections.

“The antigen test looks for a different sub-unit for the virus,” said Dr. Iahn Gonsenhauser from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “They’re a little bit less sensitive, and a little less reliable as well.”

Because PCR tests detect viral genetic material, medical experts said the tests are more sensitive, meaning they’re more likely to yield an accurate test result.

“If there are 100 cases, it will detect almost 100 cases, and very rarely is it a positive because of some other thing it may be detecting,” Gosenhauser adds.

But both test types play an important role in the overwhelming backlog of test results in the state.

“The PCR test is much better for the spot testing we’re doing, if you’re only getting one test to see if you’ve been exposed,” Gosenhauser said.

Experts said antigen tests are proving effective in more long-term settings, like skilled nursing homes, where testing occurs daily.

“Regular testing with an antigen test, whether it be every day or every other day, is very valuable to do,” Gastaldo said, adding the tests can be less reliable in asymptomatic patients. “An antigen test is less reliable in someone who has no symptoms, meaning that, in somebody who has no symptoms, an antigen test is [more likely] to give you false negative test results.”