TUCSON, Ariz. — A private laboratory company in Arizona just announced a big upgrade in the fight against COVID-19.
Sonora Quest Laboratories says it will start conducting COVID-19 antibody tests using blood samples. Doctors can start prescribing the tests on Friday, April 24, the company said in a news release.
All testing will be run out of the company's testing lab, which can already run between 1,000 and 3,000 of the antibody blood tests per day. Sonora Quest says they expect that number to increase as they scale up capacity.
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The test from blood collection to results should take about four days, depending on demand, the company said.
Initially, Sonora Quest will only conduct doctor-prescribed tests among those who have been without symptoms for at least 10 days. By early May, Sonora Quest says they expect to begin offering direct-to-consumer antibody tests, where anyone can schedule a test without a physician's order and without insurance.
