Sonora Quest Laboratories is now antibody testing for COVID-19 in Arizona and individuals can get a test with a physician's prescription.

Antibody testing, also called serology testing, can indicate whether an individual has been exposed to COVID-19 and developed antibodies against it, which could mean that person has at least some immunity to the new coronavirus, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“Antibody testing can be a game-changer in our fight against COVID-19,” Gov. Doug Ducey said in a written statement included by Sonora Quest Laboratories in its announcement. "This is another welcome expansion that will help provide certainty as Arizona looks to economic recovery at the appropriate time."

How to get tested

Patients need a prescription from their doctor to get tested.

Unlike COVID-19 testing, which uses a swab, antibody testing is done through blood samples. After a health care worker takes the sample, he or she will send it to Sonora Quest’s main laboratory in Tempe. The test will identify any COVID-19 antibodies.

Sonora Quest expects to perform 1,000 to 3,000 tests a day initially with a one day to four day turnaround time. In May, Sonora Quest plans to offer direct-to-consumer antibody testing that would let consumers obtain a test without a provider's order.

For now, patients with a doctor's prescription can schedule appointments with Sonora Quest online at SonoraQuest.com/antibody. When getting tested, patients should be symptom-free for at least 10 days and wear a face mask, per U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

What are the benefits of antibody testing?

Data from antibody testing can help medical professionals better understand the virus and help government officials such as Ducey who are trying to decide when to reopen the economy. Antibody tests can identify individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 and who may be able to return to work.

However, according to the FDA, it isn't clear whether someone with antibodies is fully immune from reinfection, or how long any immunity would last.

Testing will help medical professionals better assess the infection and mortality rates of the virus.

Individuals with COVID-19 antibodies are eligible to donate blood that can be used to help develop an experimental plasma treatment for those sick with the virus.

How reliable are antibody tests?

The FDA has cautioned that it has not evaluated every serology test on the market.

To help accelerate the availability of tests, the agency issued a policy in March that allows developers to offer testing without FDA review. The antibody tests available at Sonora Quest were developed by EUROIMMUN, a PerkinElmer company, and have been marketed under that policy.

To give consumers more clarity on testing accuracy, the FDA is working with the National Institutes of Health and the CDC to identify the most promising serological tests.