Newsmakers: Talking COVID-19 Dr. James Rhee of United Medical Doctors

We talked on the phone with Dr. James W. Rhee, MD, FACMT, FACEP, FAAEM and Medical Director of United Medical Doctors Urgent Care in Murrieta and Temecula about COVID-19, how United Medical Doctors will begin doing COVID-19 Antibody Testing at their facility in Murrieta, and he explained some of the discussion around antibody testing in general.

Below is information on the test, shared by United Medical Doctors Urgent Care:

The COVID-19 Antibody Test is a blood test that identifies the IgM and IgG antibodies that are specific for COVID-19. We expect that it will only require blood from a fingerstick (i.e., similar to the test for diabetic patients to test their blood sugar levels). These antibodies are produced by the body in response to infection and can start to appear soon after infection.

The IgM antibody is produced during the acute phase of antibody production. The IgG antibody develops in the body soon after infection as well but typically lasts in the body for a much longer period of time. The presence of IgM and/or IgG would indicate that the body was exposed to the virus and the body has responded with the production of these antibodies. The detection of IgG can potentially mean that the body has developed immunity against further infections by the same virus.

If you would like to get the antibody test done, visit http://www.unitedmdurgentcare.com for more information.

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Produced by Jeff Pack, Digital Editor