Laboratory Offering Antibody Tests
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, US – An Arizona private laboratory announced that it will offer antibody tests for Coronavirus 2019 using blood samples.
The company Sonora Quest Laboratories, which since mid-March, has provided access to molecular diagnostic tests for virus detection.
In a statement, the company announced that the antibody test will be performed at the Sonora Quest central laboratory in Tempe, and they expect to initially perform between 1,000 and 3,000 tests per day, then continue to expand the testing capacity on the antibody platform.
The Sonora Quest response time to report antibody test results is one to four days from sample collection, depending on demand.
Additionally, in early May, Sonora Quest plans to begin offering antibody testing through its direct-to-consumer My Lab ReQuestTM solution, where consumers can receive tests without the order or insurance of a provider in Arizona.
The Sonora Quest antibody offering uses a test kit developed by “EUROIMMUN, a PerkinElmer company, for diagnostic tests for coronavirus-2019 disease.
The test helps detect the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG). The IgG antibody response usually develops 10-14 days after the onset of symptoms.
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (FDA), Covid-19 antibody tests may indicate that “the person has been exposed to the virus and developed antibodies to it, which may mean that person has less some immunity to the coronavirus. ”
The antibody test uses blood serum samples and is sometimes called a serology test.
Starting Friday, April 24, physicians have the ability to prescribe, collect, and route Covid-19 antibody test samples to Sonora Quest for analysis.
Additionally, patients can schedule an appointment at one of the more than 20 Sonora Quest Patient Service Centers that have dedicated resources for collecting Covid-19 antibody tests.
Appointments must be scheduled in advance online at SonoraQuest.com/antibody and require a medical examination order.
Patients who are picked up from a Sonora Quest Patient Service Center must be symptom free and fever free for at least 10 days to obtain the most reliable test results, and when following CDC safety guidelines, wear a face mask.
