As frustration mounts over the dearth of public coronavirus testing, cars are queuing up for private tests in the parking lot of the Westminster Mall and in Malibu.

Actor Sean Penn’s nonprofit, Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), and Matthew Abinante, a doctor of osteopathic medicine with Elevated Health in Huntington Beach, are offering two types of COVID-19 tests.

In Westminster, the nasal swab test, which diagnoses active virus in patients and is in high demand nationwide, is available for $125. The blood test, which detects antibodies to the virus in people who’ve been exposed and either recovered or never became ill, is available for $75. Both tests can be had for $175.

CORE’s Malibu site, on Stuart Ranch Road, is offering free testing to first-responders, essential workers and Malibu residents. It’s also working on a separate testing track with Los Angeles officials.

“Patient testing is a key component of care, and we take this role very seriously,” says a joint website at covidclinic.org. Abinante helped CORE come up to speed on testing and CORE supports Abinante’s work, but their efforts proceed separately.

In a video posted on Facebook on Saturday April 4, Abinante stood in the mall parking lot in a face mask and touted the effort.

“I’ve so many people to thank, it’s incredible the support we’ve received from the community,” he said.

He hopes to expand the testing to other cities, including Santa Ana, “to do contact tracing and get things settled down.”

Social media attacks

While some Facebook commenters questioned the effort, asserted it was a scam and said people shouldn’t have to pay for such tests, most were supportive.

“In a perfect world, the county health department and the hospitals would be testing everyone,” said one commenter. “$125 and $75 isn’t terrible for someone if they can’t get tested and would like to pay for some peace of mind. … It’s not a life saving vaccine he is selling for thousands of dollars, simply an alternative for people who want it. Shouldn’t you be mad at the health department or hospitals who won’t test anyone unless they ping all the symptoms?”

The Elevated Health account responded to criticism, saying, “I’m confused … this is how it is being done across the country? I’m supposed to pay tens of thousands on our site … and then thousands a day on PPE, rentals, staff … and do that for free?”

So far, Abinante has reported 37 positive COVID-19 cases to the county health department.

Everyone’s main objective is to increase the amount of testing, Abinante said. He’s been working 18-hour days on this effort, his family has gone to stay with relatives in San Diego to minimize exposure, and he’s wearing down from attacks asserting he’s taking tests away from people who really need them.

Abinante’s test kits come from HealthTrackRX in Georgia, and he’s not taking them away from anyone, he said. He’s approved for 600 “excess” kits per day by the lab, but is only using a fraction of that.

Right now, hospitals have very strict guidelines on who can be tested. Public health departments are overwhelmed, and possibly underfunded, he said. “That’s where I’m trying to bridge the gap. People keep attacking me, and I’m just trying to do the right thing.”

As the crisis wears on, local providers will move to the front lines of testing and it won’t seem so novel, he predicted.

Malls, 2020: Healthcare workers tend to a driver in line at a drive thru Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster, CA, on Monday, Apr 6, 2020. The site, run by Elevated Health, is doing nasal testing for $125 and antibody testing for $75. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Healthcare workers tend to a driver in line at a drive thru Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster, CA, on Monday, Apr 6, 2020. The site, run by Elevated Health, is doing nasal testing for $125 and antibody testing for $75. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Healthcare workers tend to a driver in line at a drive thru Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster, CA, on Monday, Apr 6, 2020. The site, run by Elevated Health, is doing nasal testing for $125 and antibody testing for $75. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Healthcare workers tend to a driver in line at a drive thru Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster, CA, on Monday, Apr 6, 2020. The site, run by Elevated Health, is doing nasal testing for $125 and antibody testing for $75. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A worker gives a thumbs up to a driver in line at a drive thru Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster, CA, on Monday, Apr 6, 2020. The site, run by Elevated Health, is doing nasal testing for $125 and antibody testing for $75. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)



A woman takes information at a drive thru Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster, CA, on Monday, Apr 6, 2020. The site, run by Elevated Health, is doing nasal testing for $125 and antibody testing for $75. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Two tests

There are two main tests for coronavirus, each with a different purpose. One is important for saving your life, while the other could become central to your future employment, experts have said.

The favored tool to diagnose active COVID-19 infections is the polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, test. It uses a cotton swab to collect samples from the nose or throat, and these samples are then examined for the virus’ genetic markers. These tests currently are in short supply in the United States and reserved for the most severely ill patients and frontline workers. While PCR tests can identify the infected, they are unable to detect if someone once had COVID-19 and subsequently recovered.

The other is the serology test, which checks for antibodies in the blood. It’s not for diagnosing active illness, but for figuring out who has been exposed to the virus. It allows public health officials to determine the breadth of infection in the wider community and establish who may be immune.

Blood tests, in particular, hold out great hope for helping the nation figure out when it can go back to normal — but the effort to start wide-scale antibody testing is still in its infancy in the United States.

Abinante, for his part, said he’s “very confident” in the blood tests, which were sourced from China and have been used there since January. They’re FDA authorized, but not FDA approved, he said.

“They could give you valuable information … especially if you had a fever two weeks ago and you don’t really know, you can come get the antibody test,” he said in the Facebook video.

The Orange County Health Care Agency said a private doctor’s PCR tests are valid, and positives are counted as official cases, so long as the tests themselves are authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Tests do not need to be run by the county or state lab.

Serology testing is still a work in progress, however, said David Souleles, deputy director of public health services with the OCHCA.

First person

When a photographer for the Southern California News Group arrived at Westminster Mall on Monday morning, about 20 cars were queued up for tests. He took pictures from a distance, then got in his car and lined up for a PCR test.

The photographer was greeted by a woman who said she worked for CORE, the group partially funded by Penn to facilitate quick COVID-19 testing.

After about two hours, a masked woman approached him and told him how to fill out a new-patient form on his phone. About 30 minutes later, another masked woman approached, introducing herself as an RN and asking the photographer to verify his personal information and what kind of test he wanted — nasal or antibody.

When he said “nasal,” she asked if he had any symptoms. He said no, but that he worked for a news group and is out and about a lot.

The FDA suggests the nasal swab test for people who have symptoms, and she needed to put something on the paper for him to get the test. “Are you sneezing, coughing?” she asked.

He said he did, actually, have a sore throat and some coughing. She wrote that down and he got the test. The swab snaked through his nose and tickled the back of his throat — deeper than he expected — but it was over in less than 10 seconds. He was told he’d get a call or email with results in three to five days.

Abinante’s practice is direct primary care, which means members pay a monthly fee for medical services. He has no contracts with health insurance companies, but people who are insured can save their paperwork and seek reimbursement through those health insurers, he said.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with comment from Abinante and CORE officials.