ABERDEEN, S.D. (aberdeennews.com) – A private clinic in Aberdeen has started offering COVID-19 testing without a prior doctor’s referral or symptoms of the virus.
“It’s a case-by-case situation,” said Conklin Clinics owner Ginger Conklin.
The clinic is offering a nasal swab test to determine active COVID-19 cases and an antibody test to determine if a person has ever had an immune response to the virus.
Conklin Clinics was approached about the tests by one of the laboratories it uses, Access Labs.
“They were up and running and offered for us to use this as an opportunity to test our community,” said Conklin
With the nasal test, samples are taken in the clinic and then sent to Access Labs for testing. Originally results were available in about 24 hours but with the response to private testing through Access Labs, those wait times are now about 48 to 72 hours, Conklin said.
Any COVID-19 positive tests from the nasal swabs taken at Conklin Clinics will be reported to the South Dakota Department of Health by Access Labs. Conklin said the clinic will also report positive tests to the state for added assurance that accurate information is getting transferred.