Quincy Medical Group (QMG) announced that on Monday, April 27th, they will be providing immunoassay antibody testing for SARS-CoV-2(COVID-19). Antibody tests – also known as serological tests – may help identify those who may have been infected and those who have developed antibodies that may protect from future infection as well as identify those still at risk.
QMG Chief Medical Officer Dr. Richard Schlepphorst said, “This is not a test for current or active COVID-19 patients; people who have a dry cough, fever or shortness of breath or other COVID-19 symptoms should continue to call the COVID-19 hotlines.”
The antibody test is a physician-ordered blood test, so patients who think that they qualify to be tested should contact their primary care provider. The blood test results will be available to patients within 1-2 business days.
Schlepphorst continued, “There is still a lot to learn about antibody testing but we know that there are people in our community who called the hotline early on with COVID-19 symptoms or those who lived with a positive COVID-19 patient who were told to self-isolate but were never tested. This test allows us to learn if that person was exposed and had COVID-19 and we believe this may be useful to us in further preventing the spread of the virus.”