Availability of COVID-19 testing was one of the metrics that allowed McKean County to enter the green phase a week ago. But many people still had questions about what that means for local residents.
Dr. William Mills, MD, chief medical officer at Upper Allegheny Health System, provided some details on what testing looks like at Bradford Regional Medical Center.
At BRMC, staff can draw blood for antibody testing, which tests to see if someone previously had COVID-19.
In contrast, the nasal swab test — or antigen test — looks for the actual virus and is “used to diagnose active COVID-19 infection,” said Mills. He said the nasal tests are still a challenge to Pennsylvania counties including McKean that “do not have a mechanism to obtain the samples. There are no ‘drive through’ on-demand testing sites in Bradford,” Mills said.
While nasal tests are not available to everyone, BRMC does obtain them on patients who are in the hospital or who are being evaluated in the emergency department.
However, Mills noted it can take two to seven days to receive the results of nasal tests.
“Officially, according to the PA (Department of Health) website, those who qualify are those referred by a physician for the test,” he said. That group includes patients with symptoms, healthcare workers and exposed people, according to Mills.
He added, “The antigen (nasal swab) testing at BRMC is only for ED and inpatients, as well as those scheduled for elective surgery.”
While Mills didn’t have statistics for how much testing is being done at BRMC, he estimated that staff at BRMC collect roughly 20 to 30 nasal swab tests a week. Those tests are sent to Quest Laboratories in Pittsburgh for processing.
As for antibody tests, Mills said anyone with an order from their doctor or healthcare provider can have an antibody test.
“BRMC collects the blood for the antibody test, but at present the test is run on a lab instrument located in Olean (N.Y.),” he explained. “We have been trying to obtain an antibody test that tests for both the IgM and IgG antibodies. When these arrive we will be able to test for both of these at BRMC also. IgM shows up 5 days after infection and IgG about 14 days after, which is why these are not the ‘gold standard’ for diagnosing active infection.”
Antibody testing for people with a provider’s order can be done at the following UAHS testing locations: BRMC Outpatient Laboratory, Smethport Family Practice, Olean General Hospital (OGH) Main Laboratory, OGH Laboratory West-End, Laboratory Service Center in Olean, Salamanca (N.Y.) Health Center, Patient Service Centers in Franklinville, N.Y., and Cuba, N.Y., and Delevan (N.Y.) Health and Dental Center.
Patients can stop during normal business hours, and no appointment is necessary.
