Responding to a flood of requests, Cedar Diagnostics lab in Durango has scheduled a day of coronavirus testing for up to 250 people Saturday at the La Plata County Fairgrounds.
Michelle Roach, director of operations for Cedar Diagnostics, said since announcing this week that the lab can offer widespread antibody testing, the demand has been higher than its call center can handle.
The lab tests 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at locations in Durango, Cortez and Pagosa Springs. Saturday’s testing in the Exhibit Hall at the fairgrounds will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. With Cedar Diagnostics’ call center overwhelmed, Roach said the only way to schedule an appointment is online at booking.appointy.com/cedardiagnostics/locations.
Antibody tests allow patients to discover if they were previously infected with the virus and may have protective antibodies to fight against it.
But there is uncertainty about the test’s reliability and whether antibodies provide immunity from infection.
Claire Ninde, spokeswoman for San Juan Basin Public Health, said people should use caution when taking antibody tests.
The health department says tests can’t definitively predict whether a patient will be immune to infection from the virus in the future, which can lead to a false sense of security. Also, tests may indicate a person has been exposed, but not reliably determine whether the person is currently infected. And, negative results may be a result of testing too soon, with the added possibly of false positives if there are cross-reactions with other seasonal flus.
As a result, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment does not recommend the use of the tests to guide any decision-making as of yet in regard to the outbreak until those issues can be resolved.
“Although CDPHE guidance highlights issues with antibody tests, we support the information they may provide in terms of understanding prevalence,” Ninde said.
Virginia Burdine, medical director for Cedar Diagnostics, agreed antibody tests should not be a “get-out-of-quarantine-free card.”
“The presence of an antibody does not mean that someone is safe and can stop practicing social distancing and other precautionary measures recommended by the state and local health department,” she said.
But the tests are useful to track how many people in the community were exposed to COVID-19 and were either asymptomatic or never got sick enough to require additional testing or care, Burdine said. Cedar Diagnostics’ antibody test is more efficient than other similar tests used across the country, she said.
“Serologic testing is a possible way to determine if they were exposed in the past, and how prevalent that exposure is overall in our community, but the results should not be used to negate public social-distancing measures as currently recommended by the health department,” she said. “If people want to have an idea if they were previously exposed, our serology test is available for that purpose.”
In an earlier interview, Roach said results from Saturday’s testing could come back in one to two days and will be mailed to those tested.
Roach made clear the lab will offer only antibody tests – no patients with COVID-19 symptoms or patients who seek a test to see if they have the virus will be admitted.
Cedar Diagnostics said its antibody test was FDA-approved Monday and costs $30, but the test is covered by health insurance, and financial contributions from the community can cover tests for people who don’t have the ability to pay on their own.
Anyone with an appointment must wear a face mask, she said.