Covid-19 Testing & Antibody Testing

Keeping You Safe During a Pandemic

Are you experiencing symptoms of COVID-19? Do you think that you may have been exposed? We offer COVID-19 testing for patients of all ages. Bayside Urgent Care Center in Clearwater, Florida, is committed to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are located in Clearwater, Florida, and we’re always accepting new patients. No appointments are necessary.

 

What Are the Symptoms of COVID-19?

The symptoms and transmission for COVID-19 are like that of influenza (the flu). Symptoms typically appear 2-11 days after exposure and may include:

  • Fever , Cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sore throat
  • Nasal drainage, and other upper respiratory concerns
  • Fatigue and muscle aches

Does Bayside Urgent Care Accept Insurance for Covid-19 Testing?

Yes, Bayside Urgent Care accepts many insurances. However, rules for the amount that insurance will pay are beginning to change, and there may now be some patient costs. When you are ready for your testing, we can help you with your insurance questions.

As always, out-of-network insurance is usually not covered fully. You may have to pay some out-of-pocket.

Those people using straight Medicare (no Advantage Plans) are covered regardless of the reason for their test. The same full coverage is true for those under the Federal Uninsured Program.

We accept Medicare and most major insurance carriers like Aetna, Emblem Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United Health Care, First Health Network, Tricare, and Multiplan/PHCS.

Bayside Urgent Care Offers Several COVID-19 Tests

The following tests are offered at Bayside Urgent Care. Detailed explanations of each test are given after this list.

  • Same Day Antigen Test $125
  • Same Day Antibody Test $125
  • 3 Business Day PCR Test $125
  • 3 Business Day PCR (Non-US Residents) $225
  • Same Day NEAR Test $220
  • Same Day RT-PCR Test $220

Add-on tests are also available for those who wish to test for both antigens and antibodies. To add this extra level of testing, the price changes:

  • Same Day Antigen + Antibody Test $175
  • 3 Business Day PCR Antibody Test
  • Same day PCR + Antibody Test $270

Same Day COVID-19 Antigen Test

The Same Day COVID-19 Antigen Test detects protein fragments from the coronavirus if you’ve been infected. They are used as screening tests to see if someone diagnosed with COVID-19 remains infectious. Or, it can test a person who isn’t displaying symptoms (asymptomatic) to detect or exclude COVID-19.

Travel increases and more schools and businesses open their doors. This kind of testing is important to determine who is infectious. That way, they can quarantine and not spread the virus to their family, friends, and the general public.

As more people begin flying and traveling, we anticipate that a negative test result may be required. Please check with your airline to see if they would accept a Same Day COVID-19 Antigen Test.

What Do the Antibody Test Results Mean?

Antibodies are proteins that are produced by your immune system in response to an infection. As your body fights off the virus, it will develop antibodies. IgM antibodies are the largest antibodies in the body and are typically produced first when you get infected by a virus. IgG antibodies are small and produced later in the course of an illness. IgG panels are used to detect “recent infection” or “in-recover” states.

Your antibody test will show one of the four following results.

  • Both IgM and IgG are negative – you’ve never been infected with COVID-19, or you are still in the incubation period.
  • IgM is positive, but IgG is negative – you are in the early phase of the COVID-19 infection.
  • IgM is negative, but IgG is positive – you have recently been infected with COVID-19 and now have protection against COVID-19.
  • Both IgM and IgG are positive – you have an active COVID-19 infection, and your body is building protection against it.

Same Day PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) Test

We also offer nasal swab tests to test if you are currently infected. For this test, we insert the swab into the nose to get a mucus sample.

After the sample is collected, it is safely packaged and sent to Acutis Diagnostics. This is a lab that specializes in toxicology and infectious disease. It takes three business days. They test for COVID-19 using the SARS CoV-2 Real-time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel. Offered under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), the test validation showed >99% sensitivity and 100% specificity within the test environment. We use the lab for confirmatory testing to ensure you’re getting accurate results.

Same Day NEAR Test

“Near” stands for “Nicking Endonuclease Amplification Reaction.” NEAR testing is another method for making many copies of the genetic material similar to PCR. There are a few differences from PCR. One difference is that NEAR is isothermic, meaning it stays the same temperature throughout the test as opposed to the heating and cooling cycles of PCR. The other difference is that instead of making copies of the entire DNA or RNA strand, NEAR nicks (cuts out) as section near the middle of the strand using the endonuclease enzyme and makes copies of just a section of the DNA or RNA (endo in this sense means towards the middle). The end result is essentially the same as a PCR in that there are thousands and thousands of copies of genetic material from a single virus particle.

Same Day RT-PCR Test

RT-PCR is one type of PCR testing and is the Gold Standard of COVID testing. It is accepted for all known travel requirements. It stands for Reverse Transcriptase – Polymerase Chain Reaction. What this test does is uses enzymes (transcriptase and polymerase) to isolate strands of COVID genetic material. It then makes thousands of copies of that unique genetic material. This means that even if only a few virus particles are present in the patient’s sample, the test will make thousands of copies of a unique part to detect it. PCR uses a method of alternately heating and cooling the sample known as “cycling” and the test is preset between 20-30 cycles, which gives several thousands of copies and is thus considered the most sensitive test.

Need Clearance to Go Back to Work or Travel? Get COVID-19 Testing Here Today!

Many companies are requiring physical or medical clearance from their employees and customers to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. This is also true of airlines.

All of these tests are approved by the CDC for travel into the US. But, not all counties accept NEAR or antigen testing for travel outside of the US. The PCR is the only one that is accepted by all at this time. For travelers that need testing, the patient is responsible for having the email they receive after booking their flight to determine the right test for them at the time of the visit.

Why Should You Get Tested?

There are four main reasons to get antibody testing:

  • You were experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 but were never tested.
  • You are about to undergo a medical procedure in a hospital or clinic, and they require antibody testing.
  • You’ve had a COVID-19 infection in the past, and you want to donate your plasma, the part of your blood that has the antibodies so that it can be used to help others who have severe cases of COVID-19.
  • Your employers require COVID-19 testing before you are allowed back to work or because you may have been exposed to the virus.

Call Bayside Urgent Care Center for COVID-19 Testing, Antibody Testing, & Antigen Testing

Our center is located in Clearwater, Florida, conveniently situated to Largo, Belleair, Dunedin, Indian Rocks Beach, and Tampa. If you have been exposed to COVID-19, visit our office or call.

*Urgent care is not a substitute for emergency care. Always head to the nearest emergency room or call 911 if you are experiencing very serious or life-threatening problems. Read What is Urgent Care for more information.