Rapid COVID-19 antibody testing will soon be available for uninsured Elkhart County residents at the Center for Healing & Hope. The clinic provides affordable medical services to people with little to no health insurance and support for undocomented immigrants.
The Center for Healing & Hope received a grant from the COVID-19 Community Response Fund to help purchase 2,000 FDA approved antibody tests.
Now the clinic is setting up to begin testing people starting Tuesday.
Missy Schrock is the Executive Director of the clinic. She says many people may avoid testing because of lack of insurance or immigrant status. That’s where the Center for Healing & Hope comes in.
“This virus doesn’t check papers," she says. "This virus doesn’t check to see whether you have health insurance. It spreads indiscriminately.”
Schrock says those who are uninsured and are undocumented are at high risk during the pandemic.
“Immigrant communities generally have less access to affordable health care," she says. "Oftentimes they have chronic conditions that go untreated like hypertension, diabetes. These are the kind of health conditions that lead to a more intense severity of the coronavirus.”
Data from health departments across the country show low-income neighborhoods and minority groups are being hit harder by the outbreak.
Schrock says that’s why it’s crucial to increase access to testing.
To qualify for testing at the Center for Healing & Hope, the patient must be uninsured and call ahead to pre-register.
That number is 574-216-1723.
Those who test positive for antibodies will then get a nasal swab to see if they are currently infected.
Testing will be available every Tuesday and Friday starting May 5th from 10-1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m.
Contact Annacaroline at acaruso@wvpe.org or follow her on Twitter at @AnnacarolineC16
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