A blood test can tell you if you have antibodies to COVID-19. These serology tests are available at Washington County Hospital and Clinics for people who are currently symptom free. The tests help people learn if they’ve been exposed to the novel coronavirus.

Dr. Ryan Flannery at WCHC says the tests are also helpful for better understanding the virus, “I also think that the information that these antibody tests are giving us is going to only help us further understand, not only the disease, but also understand the ongoing research that’s trying to happen in real time to discover and create a vaccine, or a series of vaccines that will allow us to control the disease better in the population. So, knowing how somebody recovers from this infection and knowing how their immune system protects them going forward from this disease, is a vital part of discovering how to create a vaccine to do the same thing with avoiding people getting the infection to begin with.”

He adds that it’s not yet known how long the antibodies last in a person’s system, “Ultimately, this test, even though it gives us information and gives the patient some information on whether they’ve had COVID-19 infection or not, it still doesn’t give you a free pass to then say, ‘If I have antibodies in my system, I’m perfectly safe and I won’t have any risk of COVID-19 infection in the future.’ We can’t even tell people that. So, it’s just a matter of trying to get our hands around this disease and trying to learn as much as we can to make better guidance and better medical plans going forward with this illness that’s with us right now.”

He says the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect yourself and loved ones is to wear masks in public spaces, especially indoors, in addition to social distancing.

Those who would like a serology test can access staff at the main registration at the hospital to register and pay $75 for an outpatient blood draw.