(WWJ) While it's not yet known whether a bout of COVID-19 will protect someone from any future occurrence of the virus, there's hope.
And it's easier than ever to find out if you've unknowingly had the novel coronavirus in the past.
All Beaumont Urgent Care centers across metro Detroit are currently offering COVID-19 antibody testing without a prescription and without a copay.
You just need to make an appointment online or walk in. DETAILS and appointments available HERE.
The test involves a blood draw and results usually come back in two to four days.
Freep.com reports Beaumont is testing about "3,000 people a day using Abbott's IgG antibody test, which has FDA approval for emergency uses. Abbott says its IgG test is highly accurate, with a specificity of 99.6% and a sensitivity of 100%, though other studies have found slightly lower figures."
Here's a rundown of other places offering antibody testing across Michigan:
- Henry Ford Health Systems plans to announce its guidelines and plans for administering its test on Friday.
- The Wayne State Physicians Group, and ACCESS, an Arab American community nonprofit, teamed with Ford to offer antibody testing in a mobile unit. The group drives to locations that request testing for a group, performs blood draws and can have results back in a few days. Municipalities, offices and other groups can request a visit.
- Spectrum Health of Grand Rapids is also offering COVID-19 antibody testing to the general public. An order from a doctor is required. Adam Caulfield, technical director of microbiology at Spectrum Health told WOOD-TV the hospital offers the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recommended two-tiered test, which targets the IgG antibody specific to the virus that causes COVID-19. Experts said this test is more accurate than others.
How important are the antibodies? In a conversation with Journal of the American Medical Association, expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said it's unlikely that people will get the coronavirus more than once.
"Generally we know with infections like this, that at least for a reasonable period of time, you're gonna have antibodies that are going to be protective," he said.
