Everyone has a different reason for getting tested, but for me, I wanted to visit my mother in-law in Florida (who is blind and sheltering in place). It turned out that I tested negative; however, I wish I tested positive, so I could finally become immune
Remember: up to 50% percent who have Covid are either didn't know they have it or have very mild symptoms. In Santa Clara County it was determined that up to 4.5% of 3300 people had antibodies. Extrapolated to consider the whole population of the county that would represent 80,000 people who may be positive for Covid and do not even know it. Herd immunity is achieved when up to 70% of the general population has the antibodies.
There has been lots going on with testing for Covid .Just a few weeks ago, it was rather hard to get tested. You had to be symptomatic or have had contact with someone who tested positive. Insurance coverage was iffy. Even if you did get tested, it could take up to two weeks to get your results back. It could also mean that you may need to pay a visit to your local Urgent Care clinic, which many are trying to avoid.
But that all changed a couple of weeks ago when Lab-Corp announced their IgG antibody test for Covid-19 for asymptomatic patients. This is a blood test that will reveal weather or not you have IgG, IgM, or IgA antibodies.
- IgG means you have antibodies and are immune to Covid (some say for 1.5 years, but it could be for a lifetime (lets us hope). But important to note: it can take up to 10 days for IgG antibodies to form. You'll will most likely not be symptomatic.
- IgM means you were recently exposed (in under 10 days) and/or have an active infection. You may be symptomatic.
- IgA is another antibody, that, when detected, can indicated prior exposure.
The good news is that the turn around time for this test is much faster--about 1-3 days. You can either come in to the clinic for this test or I can order the IgG test for you and you can have this drawn at your local Lab-Corp draw center. It is generally covered by insurance. For those who are uninsured or out-of-network, Lab-Corp states the most you would pay out of pocket is $50.
Now there is also another test called a PCR test (PCR stands for Polymerase Chair Reaction--this technology magnifies small amounts of virus in the nose through DNA amplification). This is a nasal swab test generally designed for those with active symptoms. It is the only true diagnostic test (because it tests for the actual virus in your nasal secretions) and is therefore considered the most reliable test. The differences between antibody and PCR testing can be found here.
Another test that recently became available is the Rapid IgG and Rapid IgM Antibody tests. I have currently have the Rapid IgG test and we can tell if you have antibodies to Covid in about 8-10 minutes.
Now, for whatever reason, if you don't want to come see me, you can always go to Urgent Care for testing (but you could face wait time, etc.).Having done my time in Urgent Care and Family Medicine, I can certainly help you navigate the system. If you are in the Atlanta area, the one I recommend is Peachtree Immediate Care. You want to go to an office that offers drive thru testing. For more info., go to https://www.peachtreemed.com/.
Now, should you become symptomatic, there are some other diagnostics to keep in mind. Dr. Klinghardt, PhD, MD, now working with thousands of Covid patients through his network has seen the following lab trends: If you get sick, you should check your WBC (White Blood Cell Count) and Ferritin (your Iron) levels. If you WBC and Lymphocyte counts are trending low and your and Ferritin levels are trending high, this is could be a sign that you could be having pending respiratory complications. Keep in mind that Urgent Care Centers generally do not have the capability to run these tests. At that point you would need a Chest X-ray (which Urgent Care can run) and Ideally a chest CT-Scan (available at outpatient imaging centers or the hospital).
Although respiratory complications are relatively rare, you don't want to get to this point. Hopefully, by now many of you are taking high doses of Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and especially Andrographis, Brazilian Propolis, and Cistus Tea, which I have discussed at length in previous emails (also see my Corona-virus protocol). Again, I would stress the need to have advanced forms of zinc on hand as well as access to someone who can perform IV Vitamin C or Ozone (which I can do for you).
I am charging minimal fees for Remote Serum IgG testing with Lab-Crop (you have to get your blood drawn at a designated draw center), In-Clinic Lab-Corp Serum IgG and/or IgM Antibodies, and In-Clinic Rapid finger prick test for IgG. Fees are slightly higher for non-established patients. Please contact my office more more details.
