Wellington Physicians Urgent Care at Palomino Park, an urgent care center affiliated with Wellington Regional Medical Center, has begun COVID-19 blood serum testing for the presence of antibodies against COVID-19. The test is covered by many insurance companies or can be performed for $99. To arrange an appointment, call (561) 333-4000.
The blood test takes moments to perform with results available in 3 to 5 days. The blood test looks for the presence of antibodies against the COVID-19 virus and can be a reflection of potential immunity, but cannot be used to determine if a person has a current infection with the virus.
“We are finding that a significant number of people want to know if they have been exposed to the virus in the past,” said Dr. Adam Bromberg, medical director at Wellington Physicians Urgent Care. “It is important to remember that a positive result means that a person could possibly have immunity to COVID-19, but it does guarantee immunity. As with any test result, it is essential that a person speaks with his or her physician, and there is a small chance that the results can lead to a false negative or false positive.”
A negative result means that the test did not find the presence of COVID-19 antibodies and is an indication that the patient has not had the virus. It also means that there is no possible protective immunity from antibodies. It is possible for a patient to test negative if currently infected with COVID-19, but not displaying symptoms or it is early in the disease process.
A positive test means that antibodies were found in the person’s blood and is an indication of a prior infection and potential immunities to COVID-19.
A positive test should not replace the existing recommendations by the CDC of social distancing, wearing a mask, frequent hand washing, limited touching of a person’s face or self-isolation if exposed to the virus.
Learn more at www.urgentcarewellington.com.
