ADEL, Iowa — As the state begins reopening, knowing whether or not you've had COVID-19 is crucial for public health. One Iowa pharmacy is helping people determine that by offering antibody testing to anyone who wants it.
The best part: you'll know your results in 10 minutes.
Sumpter Pharmacy in Adel is the first to offer this kind of antibody testing in Iowa. Owner Leslie Herron and her team started doing it on Monday, and have conducted around 65 tests overall.
"We test for two different kinds of antibodies," Herron said. "It's done by finger stick, much like testing for diabetic blood sugar. And you get the results in 10 minutes."
Herron says the tests are only for antibodies of COVID-19, so no antibodies of anything other than COVID-19 will show up.
There are already satelite drive-thru sites that offer antibody testing, but none that can test you and get you the results right there on the spot.
The test is $95 before insurance, but not all insurance companies will cover it. You can use your HSA or FSA cards to cover a portion of the cost, though, according to Herron.
Herron says knowing if you have antibodies for COVID-19 is crucial to public safety going forward, and that at her pharmacy, a shortage of tests isn't anything to worry about.
"We have plenty," Herron said. "We will not run out of tests."
For more information on Sumpter Pharmacy and their COVID-19 antibody tests, visit their website.