Los Angeles Nonprofit GUARDaHEART Offers No Cost COVID-19 Antibody Testing

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Amid this unprecedented crisis following a wave of unemployment and loss of insurance for residents in California, Orange County-based nonprofit GUARDaHEART has partnered with Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza and Intentional Talk Radio in the Los Angeles area to offer COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 serology antibody testing at no cost under the CARES Act.

Anyone can receive a COVID-19 serology antibody test on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday on August 5, 6, 7, and the following week August 12, 13 and 14 in the parking lot of the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, 3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90008. Parking lot area number 116 off of Stocker Ave and Victoria View Park Ave. The COVID-19 antibody testing event will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The antibody test, covered under the CARES Act, will be offered to those with or without insurance. This kind gesture is led by GUARDaHEART, a 501c(3) foundation that provides education to the community and corporations with the goal to prevent and eradicate heart disease and other diseases. “LEARN. DETECT. PREVENT.”
 
Experts say that the antibody test may be an essential step in battling COVID-19. It can be used to flatten the curve and provide for a safe re-opening of the community. All tests and results are confidential under HIPAA guidelines and results are available in three days or less. Regarding the no cost COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 serology antibody testing, candidates are asked to first register by completing a form online. Registration is also open for walk-ins at the testing site (allow for extended wait time). This COVID-19 antibody blood test can be used to detect the presence of an IgG antibody response. A positive result indicates that an individual has been infected with the COVID-19 pathogen in the past and has developed some level of immunity.

While serological tests should not be used to diagnose active infections, they can identify past COVID-19 infections and whether a person has developed an immune response or immunity to COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 serology antibody test being provided has a sensitivity of 100 percent and a specificity of 99.6 percent based on initial performance evaluations. This test is one of the most reliable antibody tests available and far more reliable than many other tests being provided. To learn more, watch videos here and here. Additional testing opportunities throughout Southern California are available by visiting GUARDaHEART.org which is actively working with businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community organizations in Orange County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County to provide additional no-cost COVID-19 antibody testing to the public.