GREENVILLE, SC June 9, 2020 – Premier Medical Laboratory Services, a top commercial diagnostic laboratory is now expanding their COVID-19 testing portfolio by adding antibody testing to their offerings. With a recent increase in their testing capacity to 620,000 COVID-19 tests per month, the addition of their antibody test, or Immunoglobulin G/Immunoglobulin M enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IgG/IgM ELISA), aids in their mission to help the state of South Carolina and the US at large safely reopen.
Premier Medical Laboratory Services’ (PMLS) antibody testing, which was granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), requires a blood draw administered by a physician or staff which is then sent to PMLS for the IgG/IgM ELISA. Results are provided within 24 – 48 hours upon lab receipt of the testing sample and determine if there is a presence of antibodies in the patient sample – indicating that the patient had a past infection of the COVID-19 virus and could potentially be immune to a reinfection.
“Because gathering data on COVID-19 to understand its complexities is so important in overcoming it, we are dedicated to offering every effective testing resource we can,” said Kevin Murdock, founder of PMLS. “We are determined in doing our part for the safe reopening of America and will continue meeting COVID-19 head-on with the latest in technology and science.”
An ideal candidate for the antibody test is someone who believes they already have had the COVID-19 virus. Anyone currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should not take an antibody test, but rather, should take the PCR test to determine if they currently have the COVID-19 virus. According to the CDC, antibody testing should be conducted 1-3 weeks after infection, since it can take that amount of time for the body to produce antibodies.
Aside from determining potential immunity from a reinfection of COVID-19, the other benefits to receiving antibody testing are:
- To help guide doctors in providing the correct clinical care for specific patient needs
- To help provide researchers and healthcare professionals further understanding of COVID-19
- To determine a patient’s ability to donate antibody-rich plasma which can be used in convalescent plasma therapy, potentially helping other patients overcome COVID-19
- To help in developing a vaccine for COVID-19
Along with antibody testing, Premier Medical Laboratory Services also recently introduced (in partnership with Vessel Medical) a comprehensive COVID-19 safety program to equip businesses with the latest in testing, safety, and monitoring for returning employees to work – MDHealthPro Opening Up America Again.
Hospitals and physicians offices can provide COVID-19 PCR testing or antibody testing by clicking on the following link for easy account activation with PMLS: www.firstmedlabs.com/covid-19.
For more information, please visit www.firstmedlabs.com or call 1.877.335.2455.