Tulsa Healthcare Provider Offering Antibody Tests For COVID-19

A Tulsa healthcare provider is offering a test it said will help people find out if they have been exposed to COVID-19.

Cura Telehealth and Wellness at the Olympia Neurological Institute near 81^st and Sheridan started offering drive-up antibody tests Monday.

Dr. Clinton Baird said the test he is offering does not detect the virus. Instead, it detects whether a person is having an immune response to the virus. Dr. Baird said patients will have to prick their own finger to limit contact with health professionals.

"We simply don't have enough protective gear to help everyone. It's like a diabetic fingerstick,” he said.

Dr. Baird said patients must have a referral from a doctor to receive the test, which costs $60. Results are ready in 15 minutes.

"This test is another measure, another tool. Just like a chest X-ray or an ultrasound doesn't tell you everything. It tells you part of the story, to use along with the full story," he said.

Doctors said people may test negative for COVID-19, but still have the virus.

"We can't trust a negative test to say, ‘no, you don't have an infection right now.’ Because maybe you just haven't mounted an immune response yet,” he said.

Dr. Baird said if the test comes back positive, Cura Telehealth will report it to the state health department.

"We emphasize that positive results is meaningful. It means that you have had the virus and your body is mounting an immune response. But it doesn't mean that you're free of [the] virus yet. It doesn't mean that you couldn't potentially spread it to someone else,” Dr. Baird said.

The Tulsa Health Department said people should call their healthcare providers first if they want to get tested for COVID-19. The providers will screen you, then recommend if you should get tested.

THD is helping those who are uninsured and at high risk.

If a patient meets the criteria, they will be directed to a private location in Tulsa to get tested for COVID-19. The health department said the supplies are "extremely limited" right now.