COVID-19 Antibody Test - In Pharmacy

You can test to determine if you’ve had COVID-19 through an antibody test. COVID-19 IgG/IgM antibody testing; also known as serology testing, checks for a type of antibody called immunoglobulin G (IgG) and M (IgM). If you have previously been infected with SARS-COV2, your body may make antibodies against the virus. The IgM antibody indicates a more recent infection (within weeks) and the IgG antibodies indicate a more remote infection (weeks and months). Do not take this test until it has been at least two weeks since you were infected as you will likely not have any antibodies present until that time. Get your COVID-19 antibody test at your local pharmacy and receive your secure results in your Azova account within minutes.

Schedule Your Antibody Test for $59

Note: This test is not an at-home test. This test does not diagnose an active infection. It tells you if you have formed an immune response to the virus.

How it Works

Register for an in pharmacy test by following the steps below.

Select which location you would like to get tested at and complete the online appointment registration and health intake form and pay for your test when you register.
You will receive an appointment QR code confirmation email. Please show your QR code at the pharmacy to show that you have completed your registration and payment prior to arrival at the pharmacy.
Follow the instructions at the pharmacy and get tested. The pharmacy will send your secure results to you online in your AZOVA app or the pharmacist will print out your results for you.
When you get tested through AZOVA, we'll dynamically create COVID Credentials so you can securely share your results with your school, employer, restaurants and airlines or anyone you want. Please note: all COVID test results are required by law to be reported to your state and will be reported by the pharmacy or by AZOVA on your behalf.
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Do you need a doctor’s visit? You can also get an online visit with a doctor on AZOVA.

If you are unsure if you need a COVID-19 test or need help with any other healthcare condition, you can get an online video, telephone, or secure messaging visit with a licensed healthcare provider for $59 or more. The AZOVA Digital Health Networks connects you with healthcare providers in all 50 states so you can access convenient healthcare anywhere, anytime.

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Symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19)

Symptoms of COVID-19 range from mild to very severe. The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure:

  • Fever
  • Dry Cough
  • Shortness of breath or diffculty breathing
  • Chills or repeated shakes with chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • Loss of taste or smell

More severe cases

The following symptoms are more common in severe cases of COVID-19:

  • Shortness of breath that leaves you unable to speak full sentences
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion or inability to arouse
  • Bluish lips or face

Note: If you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms or believe you are in an emergency, call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.

Are antibody tests used to detect infection with COVID-19?

No. Antibody tests are not to be used to diagnose an infection with the SARS CoV-2 virus. Antibody tests are used to determine if you have formed an immune response in the form of antibodies against the virus. You should not take an antibody test until it has been at least fifteen or more days since the time of onset of symptoms.

How many days after symptom onset should I get tested?

It is best to get tested fifteen or more days after the onset of symptoms in order to detect antibodies to the SARS CoV-2 virus. If you take the antibody test before that, you will be very unlikely to get a positive result if you do have antibodies.

How does the antibody test work? How long does it take?

The SARS CoV-2 antibody test is a rapid fingerstick test. Your testing provider will clean your finger tip with alcohol and then will prick your finger to get a small droplet of blood. A small pipette will be used to draw the blood from your fingerstick and it will be placed onto the testing strip. The testing strip absorbs your blood and draws it up into the testing strip. A few drops of buffer are also added to the test strip. You will get results in approximately 10 minutes.

What does the antibody test look for?

The antibody test checks for the presence of up to two different kinds of antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that are formed in the blood. Your body uses these proteins to attach to and destroy foreign particles. Your body forms a number of different types of antibodies at different time points from the time of infection. The first type of antibody that your body forms is called Immunoglobulin M or IgM. IgM is present in very low levels starting at 7 days after infection and four days after symptom onset. IgG antibodies begin to form at approximately 14 days after infection and approximately 11 days after symptom onset. The rapid antibody test is best to take 15 or more days after infection so there are high enough levels to detect one or more of these antibodies.

Will everyone who was infected with SARS CoV-2 form antibodies?

The majority of people who are infected with SARS CoV-2 will develop antibodies against the virus, but a significant portion (40 to 50%) of infected people will not.

If I have antibodies, does that mean I cannot get infected again?

Maybe. Studies indicate that the development of antibodies against SARS CoV-2 is protective from reinfection in most people, but it is not in some people. Reinfection in people who do have antibodies has been documented, but is very rare.

If I’ve had COVID but I didn’t form antibodies, does that mean I will get reinfected?

We don’t know the answer to this question, though it does seem to be very uncommon. Antibodies are not the only form of immune response against the SARS CoV-2 virus and so it is likely that these alternate forms of immunity may be protective against reinfection in most people.

Is it possible to form antibodies if I was never symptomatic?

Yes. Approximately 40 to 60% of people who have a positive diagnostic test for the SARS CoV-2 virus are asymptomatic. You can still form antibodies even if you were never symptomatic. It seems that people who have asymptomatic infections develop lower levels of antibodies that last for a shorter period of time compared to those who have a symptomatic infection. It may be possible that people who are asymptomatic have an immunity to the SARS CoV-2 virus due to past infection with different coronaviruses, but we don’t know this for sure or not.

How long do antibodies to SARS CoV-2 last?

Antibodies may persist for weeks, months or years. Studies show that in patients who are sixty days out from the time of symptom onset and who have developed antibodies, approximately twenty percent of those people’s antibodies drop to a level of non-detectable in that sixty day period. We don’t know if this means these people are more likely to get reinfected or not.

What are the different forms of immune reaction to the SARS CoV-2 virus?

Our bodies have two major immune pathways that are mounted to fight infection; cellular immunity and humoral immunity. Approximately 50 to 60% of people form a humoral immune response (antibodies) against the SARS CoV-2 virus. Approximately 40 to 50% of people do not. We believe that those who do not form a humoral response to the virus have created a cellular response against the virus. The cellular immune response involves many different inflammatory pathways to enable our immune systems to attach to and kill the virus, but we do not have a rapid test that can measure this part of your immune response. If you have had a documented infection, but you did not form antibodies, your body has likely created a cellular response to kill the virus.

Will my results be reported to my state?

Yes. Most states require reporting of all COVID diagnostic and antibody testing.

Will I get a copy of my results?

If your pharmacy is offering rapid antibody testing through the AZOVA network, you will receive a custom lab report with your results. In addition, your results will automatically be added to your COVID Credentials on AZOVA. You can share your COVID Credentials with anyone you like. You can also track and share your COVID immunization information through your COVID Credential.

COVID Credentials

Upload lab results and your covid immunization records from any laboratory, and securely share them with anyone you like. Create your COVID Credentials in two minutes.

Create Your COVID Credentials
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At-home testing will be shipped next day with UPS. Shipping included.

When you purchase an at home test kit at a pharmacy, your kit includes next day air service back to the lab where available.

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