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What Is Antibody Test for COVID-19? And How CityDoc Can Help?

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Since the onset of the pandemic, antibody tests have been promoted as a way of detecting individuals who have been infected or are immune to COVID-19. Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins (abbreviated Ig), are anti-infection proteins formed by the immune system in response to the specific characteristics of the infectious agent.

Throughout the infection, your immune system produces various forms of antibodies, including IgM, which occurs early in the immune response, and IgG, which evolves later and can be a sign of immunity.

Since virus antibodies can only be developed if someone has been exposed to the virus (or vaccine that does not yet exist for COVID-19), the existence of antibodies to the virus is a sign that the individual has been infected by COVID-19 at one point.

The COVID-19 antibody test, also known as a serologic test, detects the presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in the bloodstream. The most effective antibody tests include a laboratory procedure called ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay) and involve a vial of blood to be submitted to a medical laboratory with advanced facilities.

Alternatively, handheld "point-of-care" test kits need only a blood sample from a pricked finger and can produce results within minutes. More than 100 variations of this type of test are offered worldwide.

Benefits Of Antibody Testing

Antibody testing can support at least three critical objectives. First, it can help identify severely infected individuals with SARS-CoV-2, particularly when combined with PCR tests. Second, antibody tests can help identify individuals who have previously been infected with and healed from COVID-19.

Third, and most interesting, is the possibility that antibody testing may determine that people are resistant to COVID-19, either because they have recovered from the disease or because of vaccination (once the vaccine is available). Immune people would be free to communicate with others without fear of sharing COVID-19 or being infected themselves and would be free to play a vital role in health services and public services.

How CityDoc Can Help

CityDoc is a leader in telemedicine throughout DFW and is ready to serve all of your family's urgent medical care needs. CityDoc has started accepting patient requests for an antibody test for COVID-19. We are leveraging our existing facilities to analyze patients' blood samples for the presence of IgM and/or IgG antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

At CityDoc, our dedicated team of experts is constantly working round the clock to help people fight this pandemic. We are working closely with many manufacturers of point-of-care test kits to identify the most reliable antibody tests we can offer.

CityDoc has a dedicated team constantly evaluating the accuracy, speed, FDA approval status, availability, and cost of antibody testing options. Our physicians and staff prepared to treat patients of all ages, from children to adults to seniors.

Here at CityDoc, we bridge the gap between the emergency room and your primary care provider. We commonly treat 90 percent of diagnoses observed in the emergency room, but with shorter wait times and at a fraction of the cost. Find out for yourself by calling us or by scheduling an online check-in at www.citydoc.net!

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