NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev., June 23, 2020 —
The 99th Medical Group (MDG) continues to stay at the forefront in the fight against COVID-19 by introducing in-house serology testing here, June 15.
Serology testing is designed to detect the antibodies of the virus that causes COVID-19, also known as, “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2” (SARS-CoV-2.) The results of this test will serve as a metric for medical professionals to determine the percentage of the Nellis population, who were infected by the virus.
Currently, the serological tests are open to anyone who works on base at Nellis, Creech or the Nevada Test and Training Range and is allowed to be seen at the Mike O’Callahan Military Medical Center.
“The serological tests let us know if people were asymptomatic or if they overcame the virus without medication,” said Airman 1st Class Jayna Barros, 99th MDG laboratory technician. “Tests are also a vital part of vaccine development.”
These tests can also help medical professionals understand how COVID-19 could impact Team Nellis in the future, and why some people are more severely impacted than others.
As one of the biggest medical facilities in the Air Force, it was important for the hospital to get out ahead as one of the first to offer serology testing.
“With the number of Airmen that we have here, it’s important that we took steps toward being more proactive against COVID-19 as fast as we could,” said Staff Sgt. Daniel Demayo, 99th MDG laboratory technician. “The Airmen here keep the mission going and we want to do our best to keep them healthy.”
Day in and day out, laboratory technicians are working to keep the population as safe as possible.
“I think we’re the unsung heroes but not a lot of people know what we do,” said Tech. Sgt. An Ki Houng, 99th MDG laboratory technician. “We perform a wide variety of medical lab tests used to diagnose disease or record normal findings. We are the backbone of the hospital.”
For more information on serological testing, call Public Health at (702) 653-2723 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.