SARS-CoV-2 Laboratory Tests

Please consult with your healthcare provider to determine which test is appropriate for you.  Please note that not all offices are offering Covid testing.  Please call your healthcare provider’s office to confirm whether testing is being offered or is available at that office.

The SARS-CoV-2 RT PCR is a molecular diagnostic test used to determine if you have an active coronavirus infection. The specimen (nasopharyngeal swab) will be collected at your healthcare provider’s office and the specimen will be transported to the Virginia Physicians, Inc. Central Laboratory or a reference laboratory for processing.  Performing this test in-house on our new Cepheid GeneXpert Analyzer enables us to provide PCR results to our patients usually within 24 hours of the time the specimen was collected. (Specimens collected on Friday afternoons or on Saturdays will be processed the following Monday.)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website: “The ‘gold standard’ for clinical diagnostic detection of SARS-CoV-2 remains NAATs (Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests), such as RT-PCR (real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction).”  The Cepheid SARS-CoV-2 PCR is a real time RT-PCR test with 97.9% sensitivity and 100% specificity.

Some VPI offices are performing the SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen test on site for their patients.  Not all VPI offices are performing the rapid antigen test on site.  If you are interested in obtaining a rapid antigen test, please call your office ahead of time to confirm whether or not they are performing this test.  The Quidel Sofia SARS Antigen Fluorescent Immunoassay (FIA) uses advanced immunofluorescence-based lateral flow technology in a sandwich design for qualitative detection of nucleocapsid protein from SARS-CoV-2. The Sofia SARS Antigen FIA, with the Sofia 2 and Sofia analyzers, providers automated and objective results in 15 minutes.

The SARS-CoV-2 IgG is an antibody test that looks for antibodies that are made by your immune system in response to a previous infection. The specimen (blood draw) will be collected at your healthcare provider’s office and the specimen will be transported to the Virginia Physicians, Inc. Central Laboratory or a reference laboratory (ex. LabCorp, Quest) for processing based on your health insurance guidelines.

The Virginia Physicians, Inc. Central Laboratory has state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, including our new Beckman Coulter DXI chemistry analyzers, which will process the SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibody test.  According to Beckman Coulter, their SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibody Test “has 100% sensitivity and 99.8% specificity – one of the highest combined rates for SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests in the market.”

For most insured patients, there is no out-of-pocket expense for the PCR, antigen or antibody test.  Most insurers are covering COVID-19 laboratory tests without any “cost-share” attributed to the patient.

SARS-CoV-2 PCR.  The self-pay or discounted cash price for the SARS-CoV-2 PCR test performed at the Virginia Physicians, Inc. Central Laboratory is $100.00. The self-pay or discounted price for the SARS-CoV-2 PCR Test combined with the Flu and/or RSV testing is $150.00. Other fees may apply such as a fee for an office visit with your healthcare provider and specimen collection.  Due to the high volume of testing and limited testing supplies, some specimens may be sent to a reference laboratory (LabCorp, Quest) for testing in which case the reference laboratory fee schedule would apply.

SARs-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen.  The self-pay or discounted cash price for the SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen test is $40.00.  The self-pay or discounted cash price for the SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen test combined with the Rapid Flu test is $70.00.

SARS-CoV-2 Antibody.  The self-pay or discounted cash price for the SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibody Test performed at the Virginia Physicians, Inc. Central Laboratory is $43.00.   Other fees may apply such as a fee for an office visit with your healthcare provider and specimen collection.