13 May 2020
COVID-19 antibody testing is becoming more prevalent in the St. Louis region, with two urgent care sites—Downtown Urgent Care and Creve Coeur Urgent Care—now offering the test. Total Access Urgent Care has also been offering the test for several days. KMOV’s Alexis Zotos reported that Total Access has already tested about 400 people.
Antibody testing is different from the nasal swab diagnostic test that determines whether a patient is sick with COVID-19. The antibody test is a blood test that evaluates whether a patient has developed antibodies—proteins that fight the virus—against the novel coronavirus. If a patient has antibodies, it could mean that he or she has some protection against the novel coronavirus. It’s still unknown whether patients who have had COVID-19 are immune to future infection. If there is immunity, it’s unknown how long it lasts.
The test is ideal for those who had COVID-19 symptoms but didn’t qualify for the nasal swab early in the outbreak, when testing was limited.
Downtown Urgent Care and Creve Coeur Urgent Care are both open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and no appointment is necessary for the test. The cost of the test is $125, but patients with private insurance often pay less, if anything, depending on the insurance. To use insurance, you must have a doctor’s script or order. Downtown Urgent Care and Creve Coeur Urgent Care can see patients via a tele-visit to evaluate a patient and issue an antibody testing script if one is needed for insurance.
Downtown Urgent Care is located at 916 Olive, and Creve Coeur Urgent Care is at 13035 Olive in Creve Coeur.
If you currently have symptoms of COVID-19 and you would like a diagnostic test, a complete list of all testing sites in Missouri can be found here.
Source: stlmag.com