Aurora Offers Quick COVID-19 Test
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – As amazing as it may seem, as of Tuesday, April 14 Houston County had still not had a reported case of COVID-19. It’s not a question of if this virus will impact the oldest county in Texas, but rather a question of when.
With this question of when in mind, the dedicated team of medical professionals at Aurora Concepts now has a second means of testing for the Coronavirus.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends collecting and testing an upper respiratory specimen for initial diagnostic testing for COVID-19. Nasopharyngeal specimen is the preferred choice for swab-based SARS-CoV-2 testing.
Now, however, Aurora Concepts has initiated a second testing option through serological testing (blood sample rapid test), which tests specifically for exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19. The serological tests were approved for use under the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) on March 16
According to an article in Shelby County Today concerning the Aurora Concepts clinic in Center, “The test cassette has three indicators: C (Control), IgG, and IgM. The test is conducted by taking a small finger-prick blood sample. The presence of immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies indicate recent exposure to COVID-19, while the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies indicate later-stage infection.”
This rapid test is now being administered in Crockett and “… can be used as an auxiliary means of detecting COVID-19. The product states an accuracy rate of 99.6% for the IgG anti-COVID-19 in the specimen and a rate of 97.8% accuracy for IgM. On the test strip, the C should always show positive to indicate a good test strip.”
If the test results come back with a positive reading, the patient is given a nasal swab which is then sent off to a lab for further testing.
While the test has been approved for use under the EUA, it does come with a disclaimer. The disclaimer is required by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and states: “This test has not been reviewed by the FDA. 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 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. Positive results may be due to past or present infection with non-SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus strains, such as coronavirus HKU1, NL63, OC42, or 229E.”
For more information on COVID-19 testing please contact Aurora Concepts at 936-544-0123 or visit their website at www.auroraconcepts.net.
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
