As front-line healthcare providers, the safety of our patients and staff is of paramount importance. We started a rigorous weekly COVID-19 testing program for our employees, and for every patient who needs to remove their mask for a procedure. We are also offering this test to our community for surveillance, employment testing, and travel clearance.
We offer the Abbott ID Now COVID-19 test. The Abbott ID Now COVID-19 test is optimized for use in asymptomatic patients-- a highly accurate test for surveillance, employment testing, and travel clearance FOR ASYMPTOMATIC PATIENTS. Positive results can be delivered in as little as five minutes and negative results in as little as 13 minutes.
- Testing prior to a gathering of family or friends, work meetings, or travel could identify an asymptomatic carrier of COVID-19, and help to keep participants safe and healthy.
- Tests are run in-house, while you wait. This results in a more accurate test, as delays in processing can lead to degradation of your sample. Results are available to you within 13 minutes. This test received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is the fastest available molecular point-of-care test for the detection of COVID-19.
- The Abbott ID Now test is a confirmatory isothermic amplification test. This is the test the White House is reported to be using. ID NOW COVID-19 rapid test is showing strong agreement to lab-based molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) instruments. The interim results are demonstrating ID NOW COVID-19 test performance is =94.7% in positive agreement (sensitivity) and =98.6% negative agreement (specificity) when compared to two different lab-based PCR reference methods.
- This test is accepted for most travel clearance requirements: https://thepointsguy.com/guide/coronavirus-test-for-flying/
- This test is ideal for your surveillance or "return to work" testing as it identifies the virus early in the course of infection. It is designed to quickly identify the virus in people who need to know now if they are infected and is optimized for detecting COVID-19 in the stage when people most likely to be contagious https://abbott.mediaroom.com/2020-05-21-Abbott-Releases-Interim-Clinical-Study-Data-on-ID-NOW-COVID-19-Rapid-Test-Showing-Strong-Agreement-to-Lab-Based-Molecular-PCR-Tests
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the test performed?
Suite 706 at 1441 Avocado Avenue in Newport Beach (on the 7th floor). This suite will be exclusively used for asymptomatic COVID-19 testing at this time. There are private examination rooms in which samples are obtained. Tests are run immediately in our CLIA laboratory on our 12 Abbott ID now devices.
What safety precautions do you have in your facility?
For your safety, we have a number of precautions in our testing suite:
- Limited number of people in the office: Please do not bring children or other guests with you to your appointment. We will limit the amount of patients scheduled in the office at any given time to ensure timely placement in an exam room, and to minimize time in a waiting room.
- Pre Screening measures: If you have a fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches or any cold symptoms, please seek evaluation and care at your primary care provider, urgent care, ER or outdoor screening center. We do not have the capability to evaluate and manage illness. All patients and staff will have their temperatures checked upon arrival to our facility.
- Hand Sanitizer or Gloves: Hand sanitizer or gloves will be provided to every patient upon arrival and we require that all patients use it throughout their visit.
- Air purification: 5 Molekule Air Purification systems have been installed in our facility which remove and kill airborne viruses, pollen, and bacteria.
- Physical barriers and separation: Protective shielding has been installed in order to maintain social distancing.
- Staff cleaning: Cleaning of all surfaces and equipment and enhanced requirements for hand sanitizer and hand washing are in place for all staff.
Do I need to do anything to prepare for my test appointment?
Please wear a mask to your appointment. If you do not wear a mask, you will be provided one upon arrival. You will only remove your mask when we obtain your sample, then you will reapply your mask.
How many people can be tested at once?
We have 4 exam rooms in which to obtain samples, and can schedule families or "pods" together in groups of 4.
What is a COVID-19 nasal swab test?
The area being tested is at the end (near the tip)of the nose. Our staff has been trained to perform the test with very little or no discomfort to you.
Do I need to contact my health care provider first for a test?
No, you do not need to have a referral from another doctor to be screened COVID-19 at our facility.
Will a COVID-19 test protect me from the virus?
COVID-19 testing does not protect you from becoming infected with the virus. If you receive a negative result it should not be seen as a reason to engage in risky social behavior. No test is 100% sensitive for COVID-19, so we still recommend established precautions (masking, social distancing, and avoidance of confined spaces with poor ventilation) after testing.
How long does it take to get test results?
Your specimen will be processed immediately in our on-site CLIA approved laboratory. Processing time is approximately 13 minutes.
Will my test result be reported to anyone?
Our COVID-19 Test Center is fully compliant with all HIPAA regulations. You will be provided with a print-out of your test results at the end of your appointment.
Due to Orange County, California State and US Federal regulations, we may also provide test results to the appropriate government or regulatory agencies. We report test results to the County on a daily basis. There is a chance that you may be contacted by the County after your test -- if results are positive -- for contact tracing. Please be prepared to answer your telephone for such a call if you receive a positive test result.
Do you take insurance for COVID-19 testing?
No. We are offering the most accurate ultra-rapid screening test available for asymptomatic patients. The COVID-19 test we are offering is optimized to screen for general workplace health and safety (such as employee “return to work” programs), for public health surveillance for SARS-CoV-2, or for any other purpose not primarily intended for individualized diagnosis or treatment of COVID-19 or another health condition. This test is beyond the scope of section 6001 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and we will not bill to insurance.
https://www.cms.gov/files/document/FFCRA-Part-43-FAQs.pdf
Patients with symptoms of COVID-19 or who are feeling unwell are best served by having an evaluation by their primary care provider, med-walk in, or emergency room. Further, there are more than 50 testing locations in Orange County offering free testing to most or all eligible people, and many more through individual healthcare providers.
https://occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/covid-19-testing