“Our employees are on the front line of battling this
pandemic and they are our most valuable asset, showing their dedication and
commitment on a daily basis,” said Jeff Zewe, RN, president and chief executive
officer, UAHS. “We are pleased to now be able to offer antibody testing to any
employee who wishes to have it.”
“The antibody test is a blood draw which indicates if you
had the COVID-19 virus and have developed antibodies against the virus. A
positive test means you were exposed to COVID-19 at some point in the past and
your immune system was robust enough to launch an antibody-forming immune
response. Typically, a positive antibody test means that you are immune to the disease,
but as this is a “novel” virus, there is not enough evidence yet to determine
whether you can get COVID-19 more than once,” said William Mills, MD, chief
medical officer, UAHS.
“Antibody testing will give us a better understanding of who
in the workforce has some immunity to COVID-19. This information will be
valuable as we move forward,” Dr. Mills said.
“The testing is an additional effort to determine how
prevalent the disease is in our communities,” Dr. Mills said. “Testing is the
key to controlling the spread of this virus on local, state, national and
global levels. As we expand testing, we are better able to keep people safe.”
“Both Cattaraugus and McKean counties have seen a relatively
low impact from COVID-19,” Zewe said. “With this new testing capability, we are
helping to control the spread of the disease.”
