AFC Urgent Care Saugus is now offering coronavirus antibody testing. The test, which is performed on a blood sample, detects past infection with the coronavirus through the presence of antibodies. Results are typically available within 48 hours, depending on lab capacity and congestion.  

Can I be tested for coronavirus antibodies?

If you have been asymptomatic and fever-free for at least fourteen days, you will be able to be tested for coronavirus antibodies. Symptoms of the virus include dry, persistent cough, fever, body aches and recent loss of smell and/or taste.

Is there a difference between antibody and diagnostic testing?

Yes. Diagnostic testing is performed to diagnose a case of the active virus in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. It is performed during a quick swab of the lower nasal cavity and can only detect the live virus. Antibody testing can only detect the presence of antibodies, an immune response to the virus that forms about two weeks after symptoms heal and subside. If you have the active virus and are tested for antibodies, you are likely to have a negative antibody result due to the inability for your body to produce antibodies yet. 

What do my test results indicate?

A positive antibody test indicates exposure to COVID-19 as well as the development of antibodies, an immune response against the coronavirus. A negative result indicates no exposure to COVID-19, though you may have been exposed in the previous ten days. Antibodies and their effects are still being researched. For the most updated information, please visit the CDC website .