Urgent Care In LBI Performing Coronavirus Antibody Tests

SHIP BOTTOM, NJ — Hackensack Meridian Urgent Care on Long Beach Island can test whether patients were previously infected with the coronavirus. Hackensack Meridian's urgent care centers began antibody testing May 2.

The blood test can't necessarily show patients if they currently have the virus. That's because antibodies can take one to three weeks to develop after symptoms occur, according to Hackensack Meridian Health.

Research suggests that many infected with COVID-19 show no or mild signs and symptoms of illness. So antibody tests can help guide doctors in making clinical decisions about the patient's care. It can also give researchers better understanding of how many people have the virus and how it may affect us in the future — plus an answer to why some are more severely impacted than others.

There are some concerns about antibody testing though, according to Hackensack Meridian Health.

For instance, there is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from the coronavirus are immune to catching it again. Until more research is done, Hackensack Meridian Health says people should still take proper precautions.

It is also possible to get exposed to COVID-19 and not develop antibodies. With some low-quality tests, it's possible to receive a "false positive" because you had another type of virus. The tests also don't rule out patients who have an active infection and haven't yet developed antibodies.

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Anyone interested can call Hackensack Meridian's urgent care centers to see if they're a candidate for testing, including having no current signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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