Coronavirus antibody tests are available for $10 or a blood donation
Antibody tests for the coronavirus are becoming widely available at low or no cost.
The Blood Connection began offering free antibody tests to blood donors starting Monday. LabCorp, the laboratory test and drug development company based in Burlington, began offering antibody tests last week at a cost of $10 if ordered through the company website.
A positive result on an antibody test does not mean that the person has immunity or ever had COVID-19, said Blood Connection spokeswoman Allie Van Dyke. A positive test means that the person’s immune system created antibodies in response to the presence of the coronavirus. The coronavirus causes COVID-19, but not everyone with the virus develops the disease.
Results will be posted to the donor’s online portal within seven business days.
The test through The Blood Connection is only available to people who successfully complete a whole blood, plasma or platelet donation.
LabCorp is charging the $10 fee for an independent physician service, PWNHealth, according to a LabCorp news release. People who request antibody tests independent of their doctors are asked to fill out questionnaires about symptoms and general health status, the company wrote in response to an email.
LabCorp is billing the cost of the test to insurance companies or government programs.
Blood donations dropped sharply in early March, but have since rebounded, said Van Dyke of The Blood Connection. The free test offer is expected to attract donors, but the main reason the blood bank is doing it is because donors asked about it, she said.
“Donors asked us if this was something that we were going to do eventually,” she said.
With the results, people will know whether they are eligible to donate convalescent plasma, said Van Dyke. North Carolina hospitals are using convalescent plasma to treat severely ill COVID-19 patients, The News & Observer has reported. The Mayo Clinic is overseeing the program.
The Blood Connection has collection centers in North Carolina, South Carolina, part of Georgia. The Blood Connection will follow federal medical privacy laws, Van Dyke said, but may have to report numbers to departments of health.
The Blood Connection has a donation center on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh and is holding a blood drive on May 21 at PNC Arena. Donors are encouraged to make appointments. Donors’ temperatures will be taken before they enter, Van Dyke said.
This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 12:05 PM.