Tarrant County residents will have more options to be tested for coronavirus antibodies
Starting Saturday, Dallas-Fort Worth residents will have more options to be tested for coronavirus antibodies.
For weeks, Urgent Care for Kids, has been offering drive-through COVID-19 testing at its locations across the Metroplex — including two sites in Fort Worth and locations in Mansfield and Arlington. It has recently expanded its criteria to allow people who are asymptomatic to be screened and tested for COVID-19 as well, said Brian White, the company’s CEO.
And on Saturday, its locations will also offer screening for patients to have their blood drawn to be tested for coronavirus antibodies — which can indicate that a person has recovered from the virus, even if they weren’t exhibiting symptoms.
“It’s really, really good for public health data and information, and also on the individual level of just being able to see if you have those antibodies and then making life decisions based off of that,” White said.
The presence of antibodies is proof that someone’s immune system fought off a disease, but experts are still studying how long someone may be protected after recovering from the novel coronavirus.
“Right now, we have no evidence that the use of a serological test can show that an individual has immunity or is protected from reinfection,” the World Health Organization’s Maria Van Kerkhove said last week.
Antibody tests can help public health officials better understand how widely the coronavirus may have spread. In New York City, preliminary test results have shown that one in five residents have tested positive for antibodies to the coronavirus — suggesting a wider spread than previously thought.
And plasma transfusions from recovered COVID-19 patients are being used to help reduce symptoms of those currently affected.
“I don’t think this particular phase of testing goes away anytime soon,” White said of antibody tests. “I think this is going to be woven in to how our society functions and it’s going to be kind of a ‘passport’ in order to getting back to work.”
To be screened for an antibody test through Urgent Care for Kids, patients can visit the company’s website where they’ll undergo a telemedicine evaluation, White said. People who have been asymptotic for 7-10 days may be approved for a doctor’s order to receive a test, White said.
“There’s no requirement that you think you’ve been exposed and you might have had it,” White said. “There’s just a wide range of people that are interested to know, and that’s what this test will provide, is that knowledge of do these antibodies exist in your body or not.”
From there, patients can schedule an appointment to have their blood drawn at one of Urgent Care for Kids’ locations — or be referred to a similar provider. Then, their blood sample will be sent to one of the private labs Urgent Care for Kids has partnered with to conduct the antibody test which include Quest Diagnostics, LabCorp or Clinical Pathology Laboratories. Results should be sent back within about 24 hours, White said.
White said he felt it was important to partner with labs to offer antibody tests, due to inaccuracies being reported in results from recently approved rapid antibody tests.
Most health insurance providers should cover a majority of costs related to the evaluation and test, White said. And for those who lack health insurance, the cost of a visit is $50 and lab fees come out to around $70, White said.
More COVID-19 testing options have recently become available in Tarrant County, with free testing being offered in addition to private providers.
Urgent Care for Kids’ locations in Tarrant County include:
Urgent Care for Kids Alliance, 3400 Texas Sage Trail, Fort Worth, 76177
Weekdays: 3-9 p.m., weekends: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Urgent Care for Kids Hulen, 3000 S Hulen St., No. 180, Fort Worth, 76109
Weekdays: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., weekends: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Urgent Care for Kids Mansfield, 2251 Matlock Rd., No. 103, Mansfield, 76063
Weekdays: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., weekends: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Urgent Care for Kids Arlington, 6109 South Cooper St., Arlington, 76001
Weekdays: 3-9 p.m., weekends: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
