Antibody Testing

Antibody Testing is Available at the Following Locations:

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q. Who qualifies for an antibody test?

  A. You may qualify for an antibody test if you had a confirmed case of COVID-19 and have since recovered.  You may also be eligible if you previously experienced symptoms but never got tested, or were exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 positive individual more than 14 days prior.  Individuals with symptoms of COVID-19 such as a fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of smell or taste are not eligible to be tested.

• Q: Will this visit be submitted to my insurance company?

  A: Check with your individual insurance plan to see if you’re covered for this type of test. The visit will be billed and sent through the insurance company you provide at registration.

• Q: How will I receive my results?

  A: Your physician or APP, or Tower Health Urgent Care physician or APP, will call you with your results. In addition, if you utilize MyTowerHealth, you may access your test results and electronic health records through the app and patient portal. For information on how to register for MyTowerHealth, click here.

• Q: What does a negative result mean?

  A: If your results are negative, it means you do not have the COVID-19 antibody in your bloodstream, and likely never had the virus.

• Q: What does a positive result mean?

  A: If your results are positive, it means you previously had a COVID-19 infection, regardless of whether or not you experienced the typical COVID-19 symptoms. Although having antibodies usually gives immunity from further infection, there is not enough evidence at this time to suggest that people who have antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are protected against future infections from the virus.

• Q: What is an antibody?

  A: An antibody is produced by your body to fight an infection. There are different types of antibodies. After exposure, antibodies are produced in one to three weeks, which means the body has developed a defense against a disease. Even if you did not develop signs and symptoms of the disease after exposure (meaning you were asymptomatic), antibodies may be produced. Many people do not know when an exposure occurs.

• Q: Does an antibody test detect an active COVID-19 infection?

  A: An IgG antibody test does not test for an active infection. If you are experiencing the typical COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) when you arrive for antibody testing, a nasopharyngeal (nose) swab will instead be collected to check for the virus.

• Q: What type of specimen is collected for antibody testing?

  A: A blood sample will be collected to determine if antibodies to COVID-19 are present.

• Q: How long will the antibodies last?

  A: It is not known how long COVID-19 antibodies will last, or if they will protect you from getting infected again. This disease is new, and new information continues to be identified.

• Q: Does everyone develop antibodies when infected?

  A: Most people develop antibodies when exposed to infections, but some may not.

• Q: How long does it take for results to be returned after I take the antibody test?

  A: It typically takes 3-4 days for results to be received.

• Q: How accurate are the antibody tests?

  A: It depends upon the type of test used. The Abbott test, used by Tower Health Urgent Care, is 99.63% accurate in identifying the specific antibodies present, and 100% accurate in detecting the presence of antibodies in the body if testing is conducted 14 days post onset of COVID-19 symptoms.