BRYAN, Texas — Testing for the coronavirus is still not widely available and it’s possible you may actually have had it , but just didn’t show any signs. Now, there is antibody testing in Bryan-College Station that can tell you if you were previously infected.
A quick blood draw and 24-72 hours is all it takes to know if you have had the coronavirus.
“We’ll collect 1-2 vials of blood and we spin it down and then the laboratory comes to pick it up and then process it," said BCS Medical family nurse practitioner Kayla Renner.
This test determines if you have had an immune response to COVID-19 and if your body has produced antibodies to the virus.
The big question remains, if your results show that you did have a previous case of coronavirus, can you get it again?
“They’re still doing research on that so just because you have the antibodies doesn’t mean you can’t get it again. But again there’s a lot of research being done on that right now, so we don’t have a lot of information to say definitely one way or the other," said Renner.
In order to test for an active case of coronavirus, you have to meet certain guidelines before being eligible for a nasal swab test. This antibody test is one resource the public can have easier access to.
“If they think they’ve been exposed, if they’ve had previous symptoms of COVID but were unable to get tested due to they didn’t meet those specific guidelines, any of those, they know they were in contact with somebody who had COVID but they weren’t able to get tested, or they didn’t actually develop symptoms, people are just curious that they’ve had it," said Renner.
Testing is open to the public and you will fill out a health questionnaire before proceeding with the test.
