Antibody test available in the Black Hills

It’s been reported that about 25% of people might already have COVID-19 but don’t even know it, as they don’t have the symptoms. But the human biological reaction may give us a clue. When someone is exposed to a pathogen, such as coronavirus, the immune system will try to fight it off, and then there will be antibodies showing up in the blood system. That’s why if people take an antibody test, they can tell if they have already encountered this virus. Dr. Chris Wenger, the medical director with Black Hills Urgent Care, says the test uses a blood sample, and drawing blood is a common procedure and they have ample supplies for that, so it is more readily available to the public than the rapid PCR test which requires a swab kit. ‘Really, anybody can show up and have this test done, which is a nice change,’ says Dr. Wenger, ‘this test is 99% sensitive and 95% specific and it comes from Mayo Clinic at the moment.’ If anyone is interested, please call Black Hills Urgent Care for more details.