Mercy Rockford Health System issued the following announcement on May 21.
Mercyhealth is now offering COVID-19 antibody testing at its hospital and clinic laboratories in Illinois and Wisconsin. Antibody testing, also known as serological testing, detects antibodies present in the blood when the body is responding to a specific infection, like COVID-19. The antibody test may show if an individual has ever been infected with the virus, even if they did not have symptoms. The antibody test is not a diagnostic test for COVID-19.
“This test will hopefully tell us whether or not a patient has developed an immune response to the virus,” said Dr. Mark Goelzer, Medical Director at Mercyhealth.
Antibody testing is meant for people without symptoms of COVID-19 and requires a physician referral. Many insurance plans cover cost of test. Blood samples are sent to LabCorp for processing and generally take 24-48 hours to get results.
If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, we urge you to call your physician or clinic. You may also use Mercyhealth’s Virtual Visit program. As always, if you are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack, stroke or other serious medical event, call 911.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Mercy Rockford Health System
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