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Coronavirus Antibody test available in Austin

blacklab

By blacklab
in Daily Texan

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UT_OB1

UT_OB1 2223

Posted
Posted
23 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Correction:  my test is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. this evening.  I'll report back on this thread. 

@Mikey4 has been tested at the same place and he reports it came back negative. 

I've read somewhere that there's about a 15% false negative rate.

Would rather have the false negatives than the false positives. Very surprised this has to gotten more attention. Going to check for a Houston branch. 

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drt

drt 638

Posted
Posted

Thanks for this, I just had my video consult and got approved to schedule the test, just waiting on the phone call now to do so. 

FWIW I had contact with someone who later tested positive clinically, and I mentioned I wanted to donate plasma if I had antibodies.  Speaking of: here's the link for Austin if you want to do so. https://weareblood.org/convalescent-plasma/

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South Austin

South Austin 52510

Posted
Posted
31 minutes ago, drt said:

FWIW I had contact with someone who later tested positive clinically, and I mentioned I wanted to donate plasma if I had antibodies.  Speaking of: here's the link for Austin if you want to do so. https://weareblood.org/convalescent-plasma/

Was going to post this.  I'll definitely look to donate plasma if I test positive

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UT_OB1

UT_OB1 2223

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Parliament said:

So just anyone can't request a test, I imagine? You gotta have a good reason?

Based on south Austin’s comment, it sounds like a good reason is having been sick relatively recently. 
 

speaking of south Austin, that is the only location for this business

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Mikey4

Mikey4 2476

Posted
Posted (edited)
24 minutes ago, Parliament said:

So just anyone can't request a test, I imagine? You gotta have a good reason?

 I think recent cold/flu symptoms is all they want to see. I have been fighting a respiratory virus for several weeks. Some symptoms are similar to COVID - cough, labored breathing - but unlike typical COVID symptoms my fever has been low, and I haven't had body aches or chills. Nevertheless, they wanted to test me. I didn't even ask for it. They suggested that I do it. Also, whatever I have, I picked up from a family member who, in turn, picked it up traveling in Thailand and Japan in late January - early February. So that may have been part of why the provider wanted to test me.

 

Edit: the only caveat is that to be eligible for the antibody test, your symptoms must have started at least a week or two ago. I don't know what the cutoff is, but I think it is something like 10 days. So even if you have really severe symptoms, if you have only had them for a couple of days, you would not be eligible for the antibody test.

Edited by Mikey4
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South Austin

South Austin 52510

Posted
Posted (edited)
45 minutes ago, Mikey4 said:

Edit: the only caveat is that to be eligible for the antibody test, your symptoms must have started at least a week or two ago. I don't know what the cutoff is, but I think it is something like 10 days. So even if you have really severe symptoms, if you have only had them for a couple of days, you would not be eligible for the antibody test.

The provider in my video consult told me you needed to have been symptomatic at least 8 days ago. 

She also asked if I had been in contact with anybody whom I know tested positive for COVID-19, and I told her no.

She was also pretty cute, but that's neither here nor there. 

But as Mikey said, it seems like they only want to see viral symptoms similar to some COVID symptoms, and exhibiting those at least 8 days ago.  Nowhere near the threshold for testing when I had the symptoms in March.  At that time it sounded like I needed to be close to death before they would call me in for a test.

Edited by South Austin
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SA-KC_Horn

SA-KC_Horn 1295

Posted
Posted

In the Covid19DT thread, I mentioned my close friend who recently was diagnosed Gillian-Barre had an antibody transfusion. A week after being discharged from the hospital he was positive for cv-19 and had minimal symptoms and has recovered well.

He told me that the San Antonio health dept., is calling him to donate antibodies. Since he's one of the few recovery cases.

I hope some of these drive-thru tests pop up here too.

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Newdoc

Newdoc 3440

Posted
Posted

Smart marketing move by Remedy. I've been watching that outfit for over a year and they seem pretty nimble in placing themselves in niche parts of the healthcare market (e.g. housecalls).

The testing appears to be a driver for their video visits and they put a disclaimer you may not get tested based on your symptoms. It is NOT a drive up "Hey, I want a test for just because" location. That hasn't happened anywhere in Texas that I know of yet.

In other words, this start up healthcare provider creates a testing site for drive up testing after video visit IF you qualify and then likely (correct me if I am wrong) will send the test to a commercial lab to be processed with up to a 5 day turnaround time. I do not see that they have access to the 15 minute rapid test. I do know the sensitivity and specificity of the 15 minute test.

This is not much different than what we are doing here in Central Texas and what Baylor Scott and White is now doing across the state. I do applaud Remedy for jumping into the game but the bottle neck still appears to be lab processing and testing supplies, not healthcare providers available to perform the tests.

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Bevo

Bevo 13577

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, South Austin said:

Correction:  my test is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. this evening.  I'll report back on this thread. 

@Mikey4 has been tested at the same place and he reports it came back negative. 

I've read somewhere that there's about a 15% false negative rate.

What percent false positive?

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BehoId, The Underminer!

BehoId, The Underminer! 11669

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, blacklab said:

https://myremedy.com/remedy-opens-drive-through-testing-open-air-clinic-in-south-austin/

@South Austin has already been tested.

Use this thread instead of the main one to discuss getting tested.

[suspiciously baritone voice]I say we put these in Walgreen's across the country [/suspiciously baritone voice]

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Bevo

Bevo 13577

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Haven't seen anything on that, but aren't false positives for something like this even less frequent than false negatives?

No, it depends on the test. False negatives are negatives tests on positive patients. False positives are positive tests on negative patients. So getting a bit technical, false negatives occur on the antibody test when washing the test takes off too much antibody or stain so it can't be visualized. False positives occur when the antibody binds non-specifically and isn't washed off during the test so it can be visualized even when it isn't bound to what you are looking for.

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4th_and_18

4th_and_18 687

Posted
Posted
Thanks for this, I just had my video consult and got approved to schedule the test, just waiting on the phone call now to do so. 
FWIW I had contact with someone who later tested positive clinically, and I mentioned I wanted to donate plasma if I had antibodies.  Speaking of: here's the link for Austin if you want to do so. https://weareblood.org/convalescent-plasma/

I have had contact with someone who tested positive and am definitely willing to donate plasma. I have done that plenty of times before with no issues. Don’t mind hooking up to one again.
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C-Man

C-Man 27230

Posted
Posted

Would love info on when anti-body testing is this widely available in Dallas. I think there's a good chance I had it already after being in direct contact with a friend who wound up on a ventilator (he recovered thankfully).

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Judge Roybeanbag

Judge Roybeanbag 11819

Posted
Posted
45 minutes ago, Sgt Hulk said:

has his mom been tested?   Asking for a friend

Sir, this is an Arby’s!

Seriously though, I’m confused, are you supposed to have had symptoms within the last 8 days, or had symptoms prior to eight days ago?  Because I was sick in early March, after being exposed to a pack of South Koreans at work and a bunch of international travelers.

 

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South Austin

South Austin 52510

Posted
Posted
Just now, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Sir, this is an Arby’s!

Seriously though, I’m confused, are you supposed to have had symptoms within the last 8 days, or had symptoms prior to eight days ago?  Because I was sick in early March, after being exposed to a pack of South Koreans at work and a bunch of international travelers.

 

Symptomatic at least 8 days ago.

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Mikey4

Mikey4 2476

Posted
Posted
Sir, this is an Arby’s!
Seriously though, I’m confused, are you supposed to have had symptoms within the last 8 days, or had symptoms prior to eight days ago?  Because I was sick in early March, after being exposed to a pack of South Koreans at work and a bunch of international travelers.
 
Once you contract the virus, it takes 8 days for your body to develop the antibodies that the test detects. So they want to see that your symptoms began at least 8 days prior to when you get tested.
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Js1

Js1 85341

Posted
Posted
46 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I arrived for the test, and they just gave me a jar of lube and told me to take my clothes off. Will report back.

You went to your mom’s, didn’t you? you sick fuck 

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South Austin

South Austin 52510

Posted
Posted

Antibody test was negative.  Shit.  There’s a small chance of a false negative, but most likely whatever I had in March was not coronavirus.  Would’ve been nice to have gotten that out of the way, but there’s still hope I won’t get it at all. 

Still recommend the test for anyone who’s had flu-like symptoms sometime in the past couple months. 

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Judge Roybeanbag

Judge Roybeanbag 11819

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, South Austin said:

Antibody test was negative.  Shit.  There’s a small chance of a false negative, but most likely whatever I had in March was not coronavirus.  Would’ve been nice to have gotten that out of the way, but there’s still hope I won’t get it at all. 

Still recommend the test for anyone who’s had flu-like symptoms sometime in the past couple months. 

Are you still rocking the thermometer or did they pull out before you left?

i would imagine my results would be similar to yours. Just sick with random shit.

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shadetree

shadetree 66

Posted
Posted

In Dallas I know Baylor Scott and White isn’t running antibody testing at the moment because of their concerns regarding the inaccuracies of the antibody testing, and the variations in quality from the companies creating the tests. Said PCR tests take a degree of technology and technique that weed out lots of companies. Antibody testing is “simpler” is being developed by lots of companies, but specificity and sensitivity vary significantly.

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wild_turkey

wild_turkey 3159

Posted
Posted

I did an antibody test yesterday in the FW area. It was $65 and I have never been symptomatic. They did ask me about symptoms but I’m a physician and just wanted to check, so I’m not sure if either of those were actual criteria.

 

It was a finger prick with a 15 minute turnaround time.

 

The test I got was from Hangzhou Biotech (yay China). The best info I can find online is here:

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/pellecome.com/rapid-covid-19-test/amp/

 

According to that page:

 

IgM sensitivity = 87%

IgM specificity = 99%

 

IgG sensitivity = 99%

 

The IgM sensitivity is a little low but my bigger concern is that it’s perhaps a low quality test with made up numbers and I just paid $65 for nothing. Not that I doubt my negative result, but my confidence in the test as a whole is low due to my distrust of everything China has done with regards to this pandemic. I’d like to see a reputable source verify the test.

 

Again, this is for a place in FW, so it may be different at the Austin place.

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South Austin

South Austin 52510

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, shadetree said:

In Dallas I know Baylor Scott and White isn’t running antibody testing at the moment because of their concerns regarding the inaccuracies of the antibody testing, and the variations in quality from the companies creating the tests. Said PCR tests take a degree of technology and technique that weed out lots of companies. Antibody testing is “simpler” is being developed by lots of companies, but specificity and sensitivity vary significantly.

So you’re saying I got fisted for nothing?!?!

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ChiTownDoc

ChiTownDoc 21154

Posted
Posted
18 minutes ago, shadetree said:

In Dallas I know Baylor Scott and White isn’t running antibody testing at the moment because of their concerns regarding the inaccuracies of the antibody testing, and the variations in quality from the companies creating the tests. Said PCR tests take a degree of technology and technique that weed out lots of companies. Antibody testing is “simpler” is being developed by lots of companies, but specificity and sensitivity vary significantly.

Yep.  It’s true.  IL dept of public health trying to verify several local labs around here.  Hope they can get it right and test widespread soon.  

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Hook1997

Hook1997 5355

Posted
Posted (edited)


The @atxconcertqueen on Instagram took the test today and came back positive. She said she was sick like three weeks ago. Check out her Instagram she is Very Rude. 9ecf021abfbfdb003b562f8346922f95.png


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Edited by Hook1997
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