Premier ER & Urgent Care now offers virus antibody testing

Premier ER & Urgent Care is now offering COVID-19 antibody testing to well-feeling, asymptomatic members of the public.

The antibody, or serological, test takes a blood sample and looks for antibodies that the human body has developed in an immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. A positive result for COVID-19 antibodies would mean that an individual has had COVID-19.

Serology testing is not a diagnostic test and should not be used to determine whether someone currently has COVID-19. 

It is known that after getting viruses like the flu, individuals develop antibodies that protect them from becoming reinfected by the same virus for a certain period of time, but not forever. Antibodies from a virus like the Chicken Pox protect an individual for life. At this point, it is unknown how long immunity from COVID-19 lasts for those who have developed the antibodies. Because of the virus’s ability to mutate, there may never be 100% immunity, and there is already evidence of COVID-19 mutating. 

Serology testing is available to anyone without referral from a doctor. An appointment can be scheduled by calling 512-648-6118. Appointments are set in 15-minute increments from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., 7 days a week.

“We are seeing a lot of employers scheduling testing so they can get back to work,” Premier Vice President of Communications and Patient Relations Kristina Holcomb said.

The serology test is free with insurance and $75 if paying out of pocket. 

Serology testing provides a snapshot of what percentage of the community has an immunity to the virus, but without knowing how long the immunity will last, it’s hard to use serology testing as a predictive measure. 

Premier ER & Urgent Care is obligated to report test results to county health authorities, which will give Hays County a better idea of the level of penetration of the virus and will help inform policy.

The serology test being used at Premier ER & Urgent Care is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration and has been given an Emergency Use Authorization, which is the current protocol for all new serology tests given the emergency situation. EUAs allow clinics to collect test samples and labs to evaluate tests and validate the sensitivity, or their ability to accurately detect antibodies. 

Most of the tests in existence are between 80% and 100% sensitivity, according to the FDA’s website. This means there is always a concern for false negatives or false positives. 

Holcomb said their partner labs are still working to validate the test and are working to get sensitivity rates close to 90%, but at this early stage there are still some false positives. 

The molecular test that determines if someone currently has COVID-19 is available to the public as well, but does need a doctor’s referral for scheduling. 

Premier ER & Urgent Care is located in San Marcos at 1509 North Interstate 35.