Today in Waikoloa, there will be a drive-through or walk-through or bike-through clinic for COVID-19 testing and screening, plus antibody screening if needed.    Premier Medical Group under the direction of Dr. Scott Miscovich is conducting the event.  Dr. Miscovich’s team has done thousands of tests for both COVID-19 and for the antibodies.

It is today at Kamakoa Nui Park in Waikoloa Village,  from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Entrance is from Kamakoa Drive, at the end of Paniolo Avenue.

For all:  please bring photo ID, your own pen, and insurance card if you have one.  COVID-19 testing is free.  Antibody testing has a $43 copay, and you may or may not be covered by insurance–you could check with your insurer to confirm.

For COVID-19 testing

This determines if you have COVID-19 now.  It will require a deep nasal swab conducted by a healthcare professional.

Clinic physicians on site will talk with you about symptoms, possible exposure, travel, and other factors to see if it makes sense for you to be tested.   The screening criteria will be based on guidance of the CDC plus the Premier Medical Group team’s judgment.

For Antibody Testing:

Antibody testing can determine if you have previously had COVID-19.  It will be a blood draw, done on site by a certified phlebotomist, to detect whether you have antibodies in your system.

Dr. Scott Miscovich, head of Premier Medical Group, said he’s interested in having people tested who:

-had COVID-19, were confirmed, to see the level of their antibodies which will help them once the level of immunity in those who’ve had COVID-19 is known

-are family members or very close contacts of those confirmed with COVID-19, whether they had symptoms or were tested previously

-are frontline healthcare, first responders, or tourism workers or others with exposure to people with COVID-19 or potential carriers of COVID-19

For a summary of a discussion with Dr. Scott Miscovich about antibody testing, click here.

For a comprehensive 40-minute conversation with Dr. Scott Miscovich on Island Conversations with Sherry Bracken, where he talks about both COVID-19 testing and antibody testing, plus talks about his observations of the symptoms of COVID-19, click here.

Premier Medical Group is being supported by the Hawaii National Guard and HOPE Services.

Photos are from the Friday, May 29 COVID and antibody screening and testing at Old Kona Airport gym.