COVID-19 Testing and FAQs

Are you offering testing for coronavirus (COVID-19)?

-Yes, we are currently offering COVID19 testing through our third-party lab service. Patients will be evaluated by a provider who will determine if testing is recommended.

What kind of COVID-19 virus test are you offering?

We will be using a rapid test for COVID-19 acute infection made by Abbott laboratories. This tests for the presence of COVID-19 RNA and can be resulted in as little as 5 minutes and requires only a gentle nasal swab specimen. The technology used in this test has shown very high levels of accuracy with influenza testing. Although we don’t know if this test can detect every case of COVID-19, we expect that it’s sensitivity will be similar to that of the influenza test.

Why would anyone do this?

Patients want to obtain rapid RNA COVID-19 testing to determine if they are acutely infected with COVID-19 and can spread it to others. It also may help asymptomatic patients and pre-symptomatic patients (those that have only very mild symptoms) understand if they need to self-isolate per the CDC guidelines in order to prevent spread in their families and the community.

Many patients are interested in obtaining antibody testing. The scientific community has much to learn about how accurate and meaningful antibody testing is. As social restrictions are lifted and over time, we hope these tests will provide patients, employers, and the community at large with valuable information on who is at highest risk for infection with COVID-19.

What is COVID-19 Antibody Testing?

Antibody tests do not detect antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 virus (which causes COVID-19 infection) until after a process called “seroconversion" occurs, approximately 2 weeks after infection. This test will be used in combination with the rapid point of care test RNA test described above in order to provide us with the best clinical picture possible regarding current or previous infection with COVID-19. There are some limitations with the antibody test, including “cross-reactivity" with similar viruses or medications that may produce a false positive result, and failure to detect antibodies to the virus, which can produce a false negative. Studies are not yet conclusive as to whether or not prior infection with COVID-19 confers meaningful or long-lasting immunity. There is still much research being performed on the significance of COVID-19 antibodies and on the accuracy of different tests.

Why will I need a rapid RNA test if I had symptoms of COVID-19 over two weeks ago?

It is possible that your symptoms attributed to COVID-19 infection a few weeks ago were due to infection with a common cold virus. Approximately 20-40% of all patients are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. A combination of the RNA and antibody test will help us determine whether or not you are actively infected now or were infected in the past. Patients who test positive on the RNA test must self-isolate in order to avoid infecting other members of their family and community.