Please watch my video below for the details.
Rapid Nasal Antigen Test for COVID (This is the new one available at Oasis.):
- Results in ~20 minutes.
- Nasal swab.
- Measures proteins from the virus.
- $85. No insurance billing.
- This test for the actual SARS-CoV2 virus proteins itself and is the only one of all these tests that does.
- Should be done NO SOONER than 3 days after exposure but preferably no sooner than 5 days after exposure or can be done as soon as day 1 of symptoms.
- Positive Percent Agreement (sensitivity): 96.7%
- Negative Percent Agreement (specificity): 99%
- This means that a positive result is highly accurate (nearly 100% accurate), but a negative result does not completely rule out infection (though 96% is still relatively good if not done too soon) so it becomes more useful if repeated a day or two later if there is strong suspicion.
Rapid Blood Antibody Test for COVID IgM/IgG:
- Blood test.
- Results in ~20 minutes.
- $85 (increased from $60). No insurance billing.
- Should be done NO SOONER than 5 days after exposure which is the soonest that IgM antibodies show up. IgG antibodies show up by day 17 after exposure. So for someone to get their money's worth, the test should be done 17 or more days after exposure but if someone does it after just day 5 of exposure the IgM antibody reading does tell potential exposure.
- Is very accurate overall. Above 95% and likely closer to 99%.
For COVID PCR swab testing:
- Oasis can do it via Quest, but results are back within more than 7 days which makes the utility of getting the test almost nil. This is the test that we recommend to people, so you can instead go to Curative.la, since they are still getting results back to folks in 24-48 hours. Appointments there are more limited, but I think they release more appointment slots each day in the evening. Testing through Curative.la is free.
Definitions of sensitivity and specificity:
- Sensitivity (PPA) measures how often a test correctly generates a positive result for people who have the condition that’s being tested for (also known as the “true positive” rate). A test that’s highly sensitive will flag almost everyone who has the disease and not generate many false-negative results.
- Specificity (NPA) measures a test’s ability to correctly generate a negative result for people who don’t have the condition that’s being tested for (also known as the “true negative” rate). A high-specificity test will correctly rule out almost everyone who doesn’t have the disease and won’t generate many false-positive results.
Have a great week, be healthy and stay safe, and as always, please feel free to pass this along!
Medical Disclaimer: Information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. The information is a result of years of practice and experience by Yoshi Rahm, DO. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or another healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging.
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