(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: