Now that everyone is familiar with the COVID-19 virus, you’ve probably heard of antibody test-done after healing from SARS-COV-2. But it’s still unclear how this test works, how it differs from antigen tests, where to get it, and how it helps society. For these reasons, we’ll give you detailed information about the serology test.
Antibody test urgent care is among the many places you can have your serology testing. According to researchers, antibody testing is critical in reducing the negative impact of the COVID-19 virus globally.
Differentiating Antigen Tests from Antibody Testing
The antibody test is a procedure that involves a blood test that a practitioner draws from a patient through a finger prick for screening. They take this sample to a lab for analysis, where they usually look for tiny molecules known as antibodies.
Antibodies are proteins your immune system creates to help fight pathogens, such as proteins, from attacking you. They quickly recognize and fight off viruses before they attack.
So, antibody test urgent care provider checks if the patient has developed antibodies in their blood that can respond to the COVID-19 virus. And this helps them confirm that a person has overcome infection of such a virus.
On the contrary, antigen tests involve swabs that a provider use collect a sample from a person’s nose or throat. The tests check if SARS-COV-2 currently infects an individual.
The presence of antigens (molecular structures) on the surface of viruses indicates that the virus is active and can be infectious.
Benefits of Antibody Testing
Some medical officers believe that knowing the number of people who have had coronavirus will help them understand the percentage of the population that could still get it. And this can help many other things in the medical field.
- Researchers also maintain that deploying antibody tests urgent care or other places can help reduce the spread of the virus.
- When medical practitioners know the number of people who have recovered from coronavirus, they can accurately estimate the dynamic and spread of the virus. And based on that, they can develop a strategy for safeguarding the community.
- Getting an antibody test urgent care can be ideal to confirm who can donate (convalescent plasma) blood-containing antibodies.
- Serology tests can also help to recognize the number of those who have developed immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
- The convalescent plasma therapy-this procedure involves transfusion of blood plasma from people with COVID-19 from those who have recovered from the virus and formed antibodies. And the essence of this transfusion is to help fight off the virus from those with infection.
- Researchers from several countries, including the U.S, are testing how this convalescent plasma works in COVID-19 treatment.
- When there is a restriction of movement across borders to reduce the spread of coronavirus, a negative antibody test result could give you an “immunity passport.” A person gets this document that proves they have no coronavirus in their system since they have developed its immunity.
However, there is also a warning about these passports. They can be untenable since no explicit evidence shows that those who recovered from this virus have acquired long-term immunity.
Cost of Antibody Testing
Several in-state insurance providers cover their patients for COVID-19 and antibody testing.
They cover medical diagnosis and treatment. But most providers will not cover antibody tests aimed at pandemic control. However, a COVID-19 antibody test can cost $25 to $121.
If you previously had COVID-19 symptoms and recovered without knowing if it was coronavirus, you can visit an antibody test urgent care center and find out if your body has antibodies.
A provider can order this test for patients:
- Diagnosed for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome of Children (MIS-C)
- They have recovered from COVID-19 and are willing to donate convalescent plasma.
In Conclusion
With this information, you can understand and go for an antibody test urgent care near you. And you’re in a better position to know if you qualify for this test and what to expect. Remember, you must wait three weeks after healing from COVID-19 before you go for a serology test. Talk to your doctor if you want to have this test, and he will help you with more details.