Service members who have taken part in Operation Guardian Support were tested for COVID-19 antibodies at the Weslaco Armory in Weslaco, Texas.
Operation Guardian Support medics, along with medics assigned to the Texas National Guard's COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Team, conducted the tests June 19.
Testing was conducted for service members with symptoms, potential symptoms or known exposure to someone being tested for COVID-19, officials said.
"Today we had roughly 30 service members who were waiting for COVID-19 testing out in the local facilities," Army Maj. Vicente Bautista said. "We had testing available, so we went ahead and did the testing ourselves. What we did was antibody testing, which gave us results in about 15 minutes."
The medics use the tests to track exposure, symptoms and personal data for record.
"The test itself is a finger prick with a lancet," Army Spc. Joshua Leonard, with the COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Team, said. "It just needs a few drops of blood from the fingertip. That is then placed into a prepared testing card. The blood is then mixed with a serum designed for this test. The two mix, and the reaction will show a line on the test if the antibodies are present."
Once service members have completed their test, they wait 15 minutes for the results. They then speak with the Task Force physician assistant to discuss the results and get further instruction based on the results.
Should a service member's test results show positive, Leonard said, it does not necessarily mean they will be ill with COVID-19. It means they have been exposed to the virus and their body has formed a defense against it, he explained.
(Air Force Staff Sgt. DeJon Williams is assigned to the Texas Air National Guard.)
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