Mobile city taxpayers are being asked to foot the bill for purchasing thousands of antibody testing done through blood sampling for use on those who work with the public, including medical professionals, cosmetologists and grocery store workers.
But some members of the City Council, concerned over a lack of certainty behind the tests, are unsure if the tests are a wise purchase since they are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and have a history of producing false-negative results.
Council members also want Mobile residents to better understand what the antibody tests are used for, and why there are not a fool-proof determination on whether someone has COVID-19.
“No one has said this is a diagnostic tool,” said James Barber, executive director of public safety with the city of Mobile. “It’s a tool, but not a diagnostic tool. Ideally, when you go into battle, you want a rifle. But we got a brick. And it’s what we got to use.”
He added, “A lot of people think the test itself is some kind of cure or immunization and it’s not.”
At issue on Tuesday was a $36,000 agreement to purchase antibody tests from Mobile-based DocRx. According to council members, the purchase would add about 3,000 new tests to the approximately 6,000 the city purchased last week through an $84,350 contract the council approved.
The tests, according to city officials, will be used to determine if first responders such as medical professionals and those who interact regularly with the public -- such as cosmetologists and grocery store workers – are carrying antibodies for coronavirus. The testing has already been used on police and firefighters, sheriff’s deputies and corrections officers.
The council opted to hold off for one week before agreeing on the purchase. The tests are already in the city’s possession, and Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said it was a “procedural deal” that he anticipates the council approving next week.
Said Mobile City Councilwoman Bess Rich, “It has a high failure rate and it’s not FDA approved, but we’re promoting that we are testing and it’s not quite the test we need to have on the ground here.”
Barber said the antibody tests have been useful in stopping the spread of COVID-19. He said at the Mobile Metro Jail, 18 corrections officers who were not showing any symptoms of illness, tested positive for having a coronavirus antibody and were removed temporarily from their jobs.
Those who test positive for having the antibody are then given the polymerise chain reaction (PCR) test through nasal swabs that collect mucus from deep within the patient’s nasal passages where the virus tends to accumulate. The PCR test is viewed as the more accurate test in that it allows doctors to look for the virus itself rather than antibodies.
Few people who test positive for having coronavirus antibodies have tested positive for having the virus through the PCR exam during recent screening of first responders. In Mobile, approximately 900 police officers and fire fighters were given the blood tests in late March and early April because the nasal swab tests were not readily available at that time. Of those 900 personnel, 37 tested positive for the COVID antibodies, and received nasal swab tests. Three of those 37 then tested positive with the nasal swabs.
Barber likened the antibody tests to an “at-home pregnancy test,” that helps provide authorities with more information on who might be positive for the having the virus.
“We’ve screened first responders and if it was not for the antibody testing, there is no way to know if they had the virus,” he said. “That’s all we’re trying to do is limit the spread. It’s not a cure. It’s not a treatment. It’s not perfect.”
Testing capacity remains a concern in Mobile and elsewhere as the availability for mass testing in the U.S. has not materialized. Barber said the PCR tests are testing kits provided to laboratories and hospitals, but not the city.
“When we talk about mass testing, the capacity is not there,” he said. The city has been relying on Mobile-based Synergy Laboratories for overseeing up to 800 tests per day, though Barber said he anticipates that increase to 2,000 by mid-May. Synergy, according to Barber, is the only laboratory south of Birmingham that is running tests for COVID-19.
Mobile County, as of Tuesday evening, had 994 confirmed cases of COVID-19. According to state figures, 6,863 people had been screened for the virus, or about 1.7% of the county’s overall population.
“A month ago, we didn’t have capacity south of Birmingham to do anything,” said Barber. “The only lab (Assurance Scientific Laboratories) was overwhelmed by the Highland Church (testing sites) which is why it took two weeks to get tests back. That’s why the antibody screening, for now anyway, is (effective) so we don’t overwhelm the labs” with testing on people showing no symptoms.
Council members also said there was confusion in Mobile on whether city employees were conducting tests. Though the city is purchasing antibody tests, actual employees are not part of the testing. Instead, the tests are being administered by medical professionals who are working at drive-thru testing sites such as one located within the parking lot at Ladd-Peeble Stadium.
“The city of Mobile isn’t diagnosing anyone nor is Jim Barber pricking fingers,” said Barber. “We’re not doing that. It’s being provided by the front line providers who are fighting the virus.”
The discussion in Mobile comes after the Trump Administration unveiled guidelines Monday that charged states for being mostly in charge of acquiring their own test kits. The federal government, according to national media reports, would send each state enough tests to screen at least 2% of their residents and would be considered a “supplier of last resort."
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April 28, 2020 at 04:58PM
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Mobile debates spending money on coronavirus antibody tests - AL.com
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