(6-4-20) Beginning Monday, June 8th, walk-in antibody testing for COVID-19 will be available at Mercer Health. The testing is part of Mercer Health’s direct access testing therefore no appointment is necessary and a physician’s order is not required. The test is performed on a patient’s blood specimen and can detect the IgG antibody to SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19). The direct access testing form is attached and is available at https://mercer-health.com/covid-19-coronavirus-information.
The following should be noted:
- Costs: The test costs $65 and payment is due at the time of service
- Results:
- The test is not intended to determine whether a patient has a current infection, but rather for individuals who feel well and do not have symptoms, but suspect they may have recovered from COVID-19
- Negative results do not rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly in those who have been in contact with the virus. Follow-up testing with a molecular diagnostic test should be considered to rule out infection in these individuals. Results from antibody testing should not be used as the sole basis to diagnose or exclude SARS-CoV-2 infection or to inform infection status.
A negative result can indicate:
- An individual has not been exposed
- An individual has been exposed, but has not yet formed antibodies – or –
- An individual is unable to form antibodies due to suppression of the immune system
- Positive results suggests exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) but does not necessarily indicate immunity. Results from antibody testing should not be used as the sole basis to diagnose or exclude SARS-CoV-2 infection or to inform infection status. False positive results can occur due to past or present infection with non-SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus strains, such as coronavirus HKU1, NL63, OC43, or 229E.
A positive result does not necessarily imply immunity from COVID-19 and individuals with antibodies may still be able to spread the disease therefor individuals must continue to follow all federal, state and local public health guidance, such as social distancing.
- Results are typically available within 24 hours via an external patient portal. Hard copies of the test results will be mailed to the patient’s home address within 7 – 10 days.
- Location and Times:
- Hospital Location:
- Mercer County Community Hospital, 800 W. Main St., Coldwater
- Times: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday through SaturdayHospital Location:
- Other Locations:
- Mercer Health Medical Group at Celina Pro, 801 Pro Dr., Celina, during office hours
- Mercer Health Medical Group at Ft. Recovery, 1830 Union City Rd., Ft. Recovery, during office hours
- Mercer Health Medical Group at St. Henry, 442 Stachler Rd., St. Henry, during office hours
- Mercer Health Medical Group at Southland, 3920 Southland Rd., New Bremen, during office hours
The COVID-19 situation continues to quickly evolve. Up-to-date information is available at https://mercer-health.com/covid-19-coronavirus-information. Local, state and nationwide information is also available at:
- Mercer County Health District: https://mchdohio.org/
- Ohio Department of Health: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/