Coronavirus antibody test available to buy online, take at a clinic

Quest Diagnostic began offering a coronavirus antibody test online, allowing people to check their exposure to COVID-19 for $119.

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“While the science on COVID-19 is evolving, testing for antibodies may identify people who have likely been exposed to COVID-19 and might have mounted an immune response to the virus,” Quest’s chief medical officer Dr. Jay Wohlgemuth said in a statement.

“Our goal is to empower individuals and their physicians to make informed decisions about their risk of infection and of spreading the virus.”

While you can purchase the test online, it is not self-administered. After the test is paid for through the Quest website, an appointment must be made at one of Quest’s 2,200 patient service centers to have blood drawn.

To be tested, a person must be symptom-free for at least 10 days. They must also wear a mask to have their blood drawn.

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According to Quest, those who have had blood drawn will get test results online one or two days after the appointment.

The test is not used to determine if someone has a current COVID-19 infection, but to find out if a person has the virus and their body is producing antibodies to COVID-19.

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“Quest is making it easy for people to access quality testing for antibodies to the virus which causes COVID-19, with access to physician interpretation and steering into needed care,” said Wohlgemuth said.

The tests are supplied through Abbott Labs. Abbott says it expects to run 150,000 tests a day by early next month.

Abbott says the test kits are 100% accurate in finding coronavirus antibodies.