Testing Is One Of The Most Important Parts Of A COVID-19 Strategy
The Population Health Learning Collaborative provides actionable information on new developments and options for COVID-19 testing.
What is COVID-19 Antibody Testing?
Serological antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) are being used to look for the presence of antibodies, which are specific proteins made in response to an infection.
Antibody tests are not used for diagnostic purposes. If IgM/IgG antibodies are present in the blood, then the patient was previously infected with the virus and will test positive on an antibody test. Positive antibody tests will help identify patients who may have developed an immune response and may not be at immediate risk of COVID-19 reinfection.
>> Click above to view a 2-minute video
The Importance of Antibody Testing
Antibody testing indicates if a person has had COVID-19 in the past. Since it takes one to three weeks after the start of the infection for the body’s immune system to produce antibodies, antibody testing is not recommended by the CDC as a sole basis for the diagnosis of acute (active) COVID-19. Nevertheless, antibody testing is a very important part of a testing strategy with several valuable benefits:
IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING COVID-19
COVID-19 is a new virus, and enhanced data helps improve our understanding and effectiveness in combating it. Widespread antibody testing provides a rich and essential source of valuable information about the disease.
REDUCE TRANSMISSION
Understanding how COVID-19 has spread will inform better ways to prevent further transmission—even if the people tested are no longer contagious. Without antibody testing, experts have very limited visibility into asymptomatic spread, which is one of the most dangerous and difficult aspects of the pandemic.
IMPROVE DIAGNOSIS AND CLINICAL CARE
With a Point of Care, Rapid Antibody Test, the presence of IgM antibodies could be detected either before the PCR antigen results (such as a nasal swab test) were back from the lab, or they could be detected when there was a false negative from the PCR antigen test. In these cases, the infection could still be active (and potentially contagious), so identifying the lgM antibodies should enhance care and precautions. Although an antibody test should not be the solely relied on for diagnosis, it can provide valuable insights.
IMPROVE VACCINATION STRATEGIES
As the experts plan and implement strategies for vaccinations, it will be very important to know who already had antibodies in their system and how that impacts recurrence of COVID-19, with or without a vaccine.
ENHANCE CONTACT TRACING
Contact tracing is one of the most important tools for understanding and reducing the spread of COVID-19. Antibody testing identifies who has had COVID-19 in the past, and provides very important data to enhance contact tracing.
INCREASE SUPPLY OF PLASMA WITH COVID-19 ANTIBODIES
The CDC, FDA, and many other authorities are strongly urging people who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate blood plasma, which is called “convalescent plasma.” This includes people who were asymptomatic. The FDA has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for convalescent plasma to be used in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and is being investigated for the treatment of COVID-19. Antibody testing is essential to determine if a person is able to donate convalescent plasma.
PROVIDE INCOME FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD COVID-19 (EVEN IF ASYMPTOMATIC)
Because the convalescent plasma is so valuable, eligible people who donate their plasma can be compensated up to several hundred dollars each month for plasma donations. This added income can help stabilize people who are struggling financially.
Breakthroughs And Benefits Of New Antibody Testing (For Clinics And Other Care Providers)
Fast and Easy Point-of-Care Tests
AccuDiagnostic’s COVID-19 antibody tests can be done with a simple finger-prick to get a couple of drops of blood that are placed into a cassette. Results are known within 15 minutes—similar to a pregnancy test.
No need for a phlebotomist to draw blood.
AccuDiagnostic’s antibody tests have the highest accuracy in the market for combined IgG + IgM sensitivity + specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) + negative predictive value (NPV).
EUA Approved
AccuDignostic’s antibody tests have received the FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) so they are eligible for insurance and CARES Act reimbursement.
Reduce the workload on over-burdened labs so they can do other testing faster.
Financially Beneficial for Care Providers
GOOD REIMBURSEMENT - EVEN FOR PEOPLE WITHOUT INSURANCE
Thanks to the CARES Act, all patients with or without insurance, including Medicaid and Medicare, are covering COVID-19 antibody testing with reimbursements ranging between $42.13 - $100+.
LOW COST
Purchase price ranges from $10 - $20 per test kit depending on quantity of tests purchased. Each box contains 20 test kits.
LOW COST
Purchase price ranges from $10 - $20 per test kit depending on quantity of tests purchased. Each box contains 20 test kits.
HEALTHY MARGINS
Margins from this testing can improve the financial strength of the care providers. If 200 unique patients are tested per week with an average $28 in margin per patient, providers would earn $5,600 in margin per week (even with the lowest reimbursement rate).
Got Questions? Watch The Webinar On “Breakthrough Benefits Of The COVID-19 Rapid Antibody Test”
Watch the 26-minute recording of the webinar from December 22, on the “Breakthrough Benefits of the COVID-19 Rapid Antibody Test” to get your questions answered.
This is the first of a series of 30-minute webinars that will showcase innovative types of COVID-19 tests and information on how to develop, refine, AND IMPLEMENT a collaborative, community-wide COVID-19 testing strategy.
Since the PopHLC strives to bring new developments to those who can put them into practice, we’re featuring one of the most promising new rapid, Point-of-Care COVID-19 antibody tests in this webinar.