CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Atrium Health announced Thursday it would start to provide antibody testing next week to determine if a person has previously had COVID-19.
It said it would offer the tests to its own employees first and then to any employer in the Charlotte area, no matter how big or small.
The test will be able to tell whether a person has developed antibodies to the virus. A positive result means that they had it, got over it and are no longer contagious.
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“I think we are expecting less than 10% of the people tested to be positive," said Dr. Catherine Passaretti, with Atrium Health.
This test now gives businesses, such as Bennie’s Pizza in NoDa, the opportunity to see which employees may have had the coronavirus and now have a clean bill of health.
They want to make sure the place is virus-free for the safety of the staff members and customers.
“Yeah making sure you keep your hands washed, still trying to keep only a certain amount of people in the restaurant and being safe," said manager Jared Bost.
“For employers, the cost will be paid by the employer who is requesting this test," said Dr. Scott Rissmiller, with Atrium Health.
Atrium Health said it is using its own labs which means a quick turnaround (less than 24 hours) for results.
Those results can also help businesses as the state gradually reopens by telling them which workers are no longer a health risk.
“I think that would be a good idea just for the safety of others," said Bost.
At this point, the test is not available for the general public. It is a business tool.
Channel 9′s Glenn Counts said in a case where someone was sick a while back and thinks they might have had the virus, they would have to visit the hospital to get a test. Also, it would most likely be at their own expense, not their employer’s.
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Statement from Atrium Health about the antibody testing:
Atrium Health will also begin to provide fast, reliable and high-quality antibody testing to determine if a person has previously had COVID-19. The presence of antibodies in a person’s blood can help in determining a person’s immune response and can also support future research to establish clinical guidelines to improve public health. As one of the only health systems in the nation to have its own in-house lab to test for COVID-19, test results are typically available within 24 hours, up to three days faster than others, and will be easy for patients to access as part of their health record that are available online or as part of the MyAtriumHealth app.
“We are still learning the full capability of what antibody testing can provide, but if we’re able to test for coronavirus antibodies now, it can help as we interpret the data over time and allow us to make informed decision with results as we advise patients on the next steps as we learn more about this disease,” said Dr. Suzanna Fox, deputy chief physician and senior medical director of Atrium Health’s women’s service line.
As a first step in antibody testing, Atrium Health will immediately begin pilot testing its employees next week. Results from this internal employee testing pilot will be used to deploy high-quality and reliable testing available for both existing and new patients at hundreds of Atrium Health primary care, women’s care, Levine Children’s and urgent care practices in the weeks ahead. Existing and new patients wanting antibody testing can call an Atrium Health practice for more information, including upcoming availability and scheduling.
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