By GILLIAN SLADE on July 16, 2020.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com

Hatters will soon have the option of having a serology test to determine if they have had COVID-19 without knowing it.

Ichor Blood Services, a private mobile lab collection service company, has plans to make this available in Medicine Hat for a fee.

Ichor collects a blood sample and the actual serology testing is done at StageZero Life Sciences laboratory in Richmond, Virginia in the U.S., using FDA EUA approved tests.

Antibody testing is an important complement to active virus testing to identify the portion of the population that may have already been exposed to the virus, said Mike Kuzmickas, founder and CEO.

The total cost includes a basic fee of $75 to go to someones home/office. To take the blood sample and for the lab test it costs $120 for a total of $195. If there are more members of a family being tested at the same location the total cost is reduced because the $75 is only applied once. A booking can be made on Ichors website and the test is paid for in advance.

StageZero initially runs a BTNX Rapid Response test on the blood sample. Negative antibody results from this initial test are more than 99 per cent accurate.

The results are provided to the patient through a secure online portal.

If the initial test shows a positive on the IgG antibody, a second test is run using the Beckman Coulter Access test. If this is positive, it will validate the presence of antibodies with a Positive Predictive Value of 99 per cent, said Kuzmickas.

Ichor currently takes bookings in Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto. It has plans to expand to Medicine Hat soon. In the meantime, depending on the number of people requesting serology testing in Medicine Hat, Ichor may provide service locally. If you do not want to wait for that you have the option of driving to Calgary.

Kuzmickas says there has been a lot of interest from people who are travelling. People who are planning to fly to Morocco are required to have a serology test.

Ichor is legally allowed to offer the test for a fee because the laboratory work is being done in the U.S., said Kuzmickas.

Depending on when the blood sample is taken and forwarded to the lab in the U.S., it can take either 48 hours or up to 10 days for the results of a serology test.

On June 23 Alberta Health announced an investment of $10 million for serology testing in Alberta, limited to four specific research studies. Tests are not available to the public.

Some local family doctors have said they believe they treated COVID-19 patients before COVID-19 tests were being done.

Health Canada has approved some serology tests for use by doctors.

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/covid19-industry/medical-devices/authorized/list.html#wb-auto-5

On May 2 the Spartan Cube COVID-19 system by Spartan Bioscience Inc. Canada was approved using nucleic acid technology. On March 24 the Xpert Express SARS-CoV-2 by Cepheid in the U.S. using nucleic acid technology was also approved.

Ichor also hopes to offer regular lab work services in Medicine Hat

Ichor Blood Services also hopes to soon have permission to offer its services in Medicine Hat for regular lab work such as urine and blood tests ordered by your family doctor.

Ichor currently offers service in Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto, with immediate plans to expand into Fort McMurray, Red Deer, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.

Mike Kuzmickas, founder and CEO of Ichor, says he knows there are people who would like the option of someone coming to their own home to collect samples for lab work. They would rather not have to wait in a waiting room with others, particularly with the threat of COVID-19, and they are willing to pay for that option.

Kuzmickas says it relieves the burden on public labs and collection sites and provides an option for those who have a compromised immune system, find it physically challenging get to a collection site or are too busy to wait at a public lab facility.

Kuzmickas says he has talked with the regulatory bodies such as the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta, the provincial government and the minister of healths office.

We are in the final stage of discussing collection agreements with DynaLife and Alberta Precision Labs, said Kuzmickas, who hopes the required approvals could be in place within four to six weeks.

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Serology testing coming to the Hat - Medicine Hat News