Gunnison Valley Health Offering COVID-19 Antibody Test.

May 12, 2020

Gunnison Valley Health Offering COVID-19 Antibody Test.

Today, Gunnison Valley Health announced that a new COVID-19 antibody test is now available to the community.

Gunnison Valley Health’s Laboratory Director Tina Wilson said the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG test is designed to detect antibodies in a blood sample that would indicate a person may have a current or prior COVID-19 infection.

“An antibody is a protein that the body produces in the late stages of infection and may remain for up to months and possibly years after a person has recovered,” said Mrs. Wilson.

“Detecting the IgG antibodies will help determine if a person was previously infected with the virus and will enable us to gather more epidemiological data for our hospital and community,” she said.

Wilson confirms patients do not require previous COVID-19 testing to undertake the antibody test. However, she does recommend that patients must be at least 21 days from potential COVID-19 exposure or symptoms to ensure the body has had the chance to develop antibodies.

Gunnison Valley Health’s CEO Rob Santilli confirmed that the community has been asking when antibody testing will be available in our Valley.

“This specific test will provide peace of mind to community members knowing they may have the antibody to the virus, although it does not confirm immunity,” he said.

“The information can also help our public health officials understand how widespread the outbreak is and determine what measures need to be in place to limit the spread of the virus.”

With limited tests available, community members who would like to undertake the antibody test do not need an appointment or doctor’s order. The antibody test costs $75 at time of service and is available between the hours of 12-4pm Monday to Friday at Gunnison Valley Health’s Laboratory, located at the North entrance of the hospital. For more information and to view the fact sheets, please click the link to our COVID-19 Antibody Test