Medical group becomes first in Texas to offer COVID-19 antibody test

AUSTIN, Texas - A local medical group has become the first in Texas to offer a COVID-19 antibody test.

The antibody test is mainly being used in New York, and in a matter of minutes, this test is designed to find out whether a person has COVID-19 antibodies.

“We found that the antibody testing was going to be very important to basically help get our nations back open,” said Robert Sek, CEO of Total Primary Care.

SIGN UP FOR FOX 7 AUSTIN EMAIL ALERTS

Seck says his medical group is the first in the state to offer COVID-19 antibody tests. “We really invested a lot of time to be on the forefront of antibody testing,” he said.

Unlike your typical nasal swab tests, antibody testing isn't for detecting whether or not you have COVID-19. This test has a different job. “The tests are designed specifically to identify if you have antibodies in your blood and if you have possibly been exposed to the virus in the past,” said Sek.

Seck says the test is specifically designed for men, women, and children who currently aren’t experiencing virus symptoms. “The antibody tests are really designed to answer the question of have I possibly had the virus in the past,” said Sek.

He says the tests will be done at certain Total Primary Care clinics in Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth and results will be almost instant.

“These tests are done within our centers, very simple. It is a blood draw, It is rendered in about 15 minutes, and so therefore, you're able to get your results before you leave,” said Sek.

Seck says antibody tests are critical to understanding COVID-19.

You must book an appointment to take a test. A list of Total Men's Primary Locations can be found here and a list of Total Care Primary Care locations can be found here.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST INFO ON THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

FOX 7 Austin is working to keep you up to date with coronavirus, with both local and national developments. Every weekday we're live at 12 p.m. with a special show reporting the latest news, prevention tips and treatment information.

You can watch live in your FOX 7 Austin app or on the FOX 7 Austin Facebook page.

You can also get the latest COVID-19 news from around the country at coronavirusnow.com.