SAN ANTONIO — The demand for COVID-19 testing is growing as more and more people are curious to learn whether they contracted the virus without knowing it.
In San Antonio, at least one drive-up testing facility has emerged, sparking warnings from Dawn Emerick, the city's top health official.
During a Wednesday night COVID-19 update, Emerick elaborated that there are dozens of tests on the market—but said only four are approved by the FDA. She said of the four that are approved, three received the go-ahead just this past weekend.
“Even with the FDA approval...we're not sure whether they are working or not," Emerick said on Thursday. "And I just want to caution all of you all who are watching."
She said the results from even FDA-approved antibody tests are not shared with Metro Health, meaning it's impossible to scrutinize the data and more accurately track the virus's spread in the Alamo City.
"We have no idea what is happening, what test results are," she said. "We can't do any surveillance on them. There's nothing. It's not a reportable lab. This is not a statement or a position to say that they're not of value, I think that it's too early. The science just isn't there."
Dr. Luke Berry is the emergency care physician behind one local drive-up antibody testing shop. His website advertises that for $149, people can get their antibody test results in a matter of minutes.
He said he performs the antibody test in conjunction with a viral COVID-19 test, to determine whether the individual actively has the virus.
“As an emergency medicine physician, it's really frustrating when I can't give my patients answers that they want," Berry said. "So I feel that an antibody test is a good start to give them some knowledge, some power over that fear of, 'What if I was infected?' What if I am infected?'”
Berry declined to share who manufactures the antibody test he's administering, or whether it is FDA-approved.
"We are already having difficulty just with people bombarding us and trying to get information on where they can get more supplies and more PPE and everything," Berry said as his reason for not disclosing information about the antibody test. "I feel like it would just complicate matters.
"Bottom line is that I am promoting this and I want to offer this as something that I can stand behind myself. Just know that I really did research into what I thought would be the safest and the best antibody test to offer the public."
Emerick said tests from the following manufacturers have been FDA-approved.
- Cellex Inc.
- Chembio Diagnostic System, Inc
- Mount Sinai Laboratory
- Clinical Diagnostics, Inc