This test can detect if someone had coronavirus. When will SLO County have it?

San Luis Obispo County public health officials continue to push for more coronavirus testing, as the total number of confirmed local COVID-19 cases reached 117 on Monday.

However, the county does not currently have antibody testing — a new form of testing.

Antibody testing is a blood test that can detect whether a person has previously had COVID-19, even if they no longer actively have the virus. The test can also determine whether a person’s immune system has built up a response to the virus, according to a news release.

Nasal swab testing, the only kind of test currently available in San Luis Obispo County, can only detect the virus if a person currently has it, according to public health officer Dr. Penny Borenstein.

While some cities in California such as Los Angeles and Santa Clara have began clinical trials using the antibody test, it is not commercially available and therefore not available in San Luis Obispo County.

“We very much want to get to the place where we can do that type of broad antibody testing, but we are not there yet,” Borenstein said at a Monday news briefing. “We’re not there yet in the nation and we’re certainly not there in our jurisdiction.”

Although it has not yet reached a wide market, Borenstein said if the clinical trials show the tests work, the county would like to make them available locally.

The county is in communication with state and national public health officials about the tests, but it’s not clear when, or if, San Luis Obispo County will receive the tests, according to a news release.

“We believe that there have been probably quite a few people in our community who had the disease but did not get tested — people either who had mild symptoms or when testing was much less available early on or maybe had no symptoms at all,” Borenstein said.

The antibody test would give the county a better idea of how many people actually had the virus so the county can measure the level of protection within the community, according to the release.

In the meantime, Borentein said she is continuing to ask private healthcare facilities to test anyone with COVID-19 symptoms.

The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Lab continues to operate at a maximum capacity of 50 test per day, although its resources are saved for those most in need of receiving fast test results.

To date, the lab has tested 727 residents with 47 positive results. 70 positive tests were conducted at private labs. The county does not know the total number of residents who have received nasal swab testing because it doesn’t have complete data from private labs.

When and where to get tested for coronvirus

Symptoms of the virus that causes COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Mild symptoms also include chills, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose and diarrhea.

Older adults and individuals with underlying medical conditions are particularly vulnerable to the virus’ effects.

Health officials urge those who exhibit symptoms to stay home, avoid contact with others and call their healthcare provider or urgent-care clinic before seeking medical care to receive safe arrival instructions, if directed to do so.

While San Luis Obispo County is asking for more people to get tested if they have any respiratory illness symptoms, the Public Health Lab still only operates at a capacity of around 50 tests per day.

People experiencing symptoms should first call their private health providers or an urgent care clinic. Providers that are accepting samples for testing can be found on the county’s website.

Potential patients who are experiencing the listed symptoms and are struggling to get tested can call the county Public Health Department at 805-781-5500. However, Public health officials cannot guarantee anyone a test.

Go to the emergency room only if you are experiencing a medical emergency.

This story was originally published April 13, 2020 at 5:24 PM.