Pitkin County COVID-19 antibody testing pilot program starts Friday
Pitkin County’s COVID-19 antibody testing will start Friday with 16 people selected for a small pilot program, county officials announced Thursday.
The program is to “assess the effectiveness of the tests and the efficiency of the testing process,” the county said in a news release sent before the Pitkin County Public Health Board meeting, which is at 1 p.m. and streaming online (or watch below).
The testing Friday will be at the Aspen Village Fire Station and is not open to the public. The 16 people in the program were previously tested for COVID-19, the county said, and they will serve as a proof of the antibody tests. The county acquired 1,000 tests from Aytu Bioscience lab in the Denver area.
Pitkin County has 1,000 COVID-19 antibody tests from a Denver-based company.
The proof shown in the image is negative for COVID-19.
Testing, purchased last week from Aytu Bioscience, are currently being tested and verified through a joint effort with Aspen Valley Hospital to prepare for the implementation of public testing. A small sample of blood is taken with a puncture on the finger and deposited at the sample location, followed by a buffer solution. After about 10 minutes the results are shown.
LEGEND
C – Control showing the test was done correctly.
G – Antibody IgG, which develops after COVID-19 recovery.
M – IgM Antibody, which develops during active infection
S – Sample, where blood sample is deposited
B – Tampon Solution
We will be updating it during this week as the test process continues to be defined.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
Readers around Aspen and Snowmass Village make the Aspen Times’ work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.