VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A new site where residents can have a blood sample drawn to determine whether they have COVID-19 antibodies and are potentially immune to the deadly respiratory illness is coming to the Volusia County Fairgrounds.
Rep. David Santiago made the announcement Thursday.
“These types of blood drawn tests for the antibodies are more thorough and tend to be more reliable then the finger-stick version being proposed by some. Furthermore, this large-scale approach for a test of this kind is the first in Central Florida," Santiago said.
The test is not for anyone currently experiencing symptoms but is instead used to see if someone has previously been infected and could now be immune from contracting the illness again.
“Everybody’s talking about this next phase and how do we open up the economy? It’s all about testing," Santiago said. "People want to know whether they had it, whether you have the antibodies to feel a sense of comfort and relief to get back engaged into the economy.”
The fairgrounds will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. starting May 4. Family Health Source will use resources from its drive-up coronavirus testing sites in Deltona and Daytona Beach to help facilitate the blood-draw antibody tests.
Organizers said the Deltona testing site and testing site at Daytona Beach Racing Card Club will close and merge with the Volusia County Fairgrounds.
In addition to the antibody tests, standard coronavirus testing will also take place at the fairgrounds once the site opens, according to a spokesman for Santiago. To start out, 500 antibody tests have been ordered and officials do believe more will be obtained for when those run out.
Santiago said in a Facebook video that the test will be free and open to anyone who would like one. Insurance is not needed and tests will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. Results will be provided within about five days after the lab receives the sample, which usually takes 24 hours.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said he supports the idea of antibody testing if it could help in the fight against COVID-19.
“We’re going to encourage all of them to participate in this," Chitwood said. "If I have the antibodies and my plasma can help somebody, we’re going to donate.”
In Lake County, Adult Medicine announced it had partnered with the Florida Department of Health to provide antibody testing at a cost of $20 for Lake County residents and $85 for everyone else through May 17.
Antibody testing is also available in Melbourne and costs $100 for anyone who doesn’t have insurance.
OMNI Healthcare, which operates that site, conducts the tests with finger pricks and offers results within minutes.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said he’d like to see expanded antibody testing because it could help researchers identify those who contracted the coronavirus without ever experiencing symptoms. It could also be useful to first responders and health care workers who are on the front lines to know whether they could be less susceptible to infection.
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