Weems To Host COVID-19 Antibody Testing on Wednesday, May 20

George E. Weems Memorial Hospital will conduct the COVID-19 Abbott antibody test for area individuals who work in retail, grocery stores, restaurants, and law enforcement on Wednesday, May 20 from 9am- 3pm. The testing will occur at the hospital on Avenue G in Apalachicola. A tent will be set up outside the hospital with medical personnel onsite to conduct the antibody test, which will consist of drawing a blood sample from your arm. To be eligible for this unique opportunity for free testing, you must be a resident or employee of Franklin County and 18 years or older.

In addition to this event, the antibody tests will be offered at both clinics starting Monday, May 18, 2020. Individuals can call either the East Clinic at 850-697-2345 and/or West Clinic at (850) 653-1525 to schedule an appointment for testing.

According to Weems CEO, David Walker, Weems is offering the test first to these targeted groups because they are the individuals who may come in contact with a vast majority of people.

“We are starting in Apalachicola at the hospital because we have more staff to conduct more lab tests,” said Walker. “But we will do more testing events throughout the county with other targeted groups in coming weeks,” he said.

The Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody test, approved by the FDA, is designed to detect whether you have particular antibodies in your blood, which will indicate if you have previously been exposed to the novel coronavirus. It will NOT tell you if you have the virus that causes COVID-19.

According to health officials, the antibody test requires a blood sample instead of a nasal swab because antibodies exist in your blood, not in saliva. The swab sample is used to detect the virus itself, because the virus lives in your respiratory tract and nasal passages. Since antibodies reside in your blood stream and not in your nasal passages, a blood sample is required.

Blood samples of test recipients will be sent overnight to LabCorp Diagnostics. It is expected that test results will be available within two to three days. Results will be available through the LabCorp portal or through the Weems Medical Clinic.

If you have any questions, please call Susie Buskirk, Weems Medical Centers Practice Manager at 850-653-1525 ext. 106.

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