Addabbo teams with Valhalla Medics to provide free COVID antibody testing to help the community "Get Back to Business"

This May, State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. is partnering with a local medical facility to bring free rapid COVID-19 antibody testing to the community.

On Saturday, May 8, medical technicians from Rockaway-based Valhalla Medics will be onsite at the All American Bagel & Barista II, located at 20-10 Cross Bay Boulevard in Broad Channel, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. to provide free rapid COVID-19 antibody testing to residents who register for the event.

Samantha and Philip D’Agostino of Valhalla Medics are residents of Broad Channel and reached out to Addabbo to work on bringing this free event to their home community.

“As more and more people receive the COVID-19 vaccination, we must continue to remain vigilant in the fight against this virus. With a recent rise of COVID cases in certain local areas, getting tested is vitally important,” Addabbo said. “Even if you are fully vaccinated, there is still a small chance that you could catch COVID and potentially spread it to those who are not vaccinated. Be sure to keep yourself and your loved ones safe by getting tested for COVID regularly.”

The test that will be given is a rapid IgG/IgM antibody test, which is done using a nearly painless finger prick to draw a small bead of blood that is transferred for processing. After about a 10-minute wait, patients are given a form with a write up of their results that is signed by the technician that performed the test. These IgG/IgM tests can detect and differentiate between the presence of the short term (IgM) and the long-term (IgG) antibodies.

It is important to get an antibody test, even after being vaccinated because:

• It can show antibodies from the COVID-19 vaccine;
• It can show antibodies to determine if you had the virus in the past;
• It can show a current infection of COVID-19;
• Data has shown that even if you are vaccinated, there is a small chance that you can still contract COVID-19 and spread it to others.

No insurance is necessary to take part in the testing event. Anyone who wishes to take part in the event and get their free rapid antibody test must register by calling Addabbo’s office and securing a spot. Walk-ups will also be welcomed.

Valhalla Medics will be providing free giveaways for all those who come down to get the free antibody test.

“I would like to thank everyone at Valhalla Medics for volunteering their free time to come out and provide the community with these antibody tests during this free event,” Addabbo added. “I would also like to thank Nicholas Saladino, the owner and operator of All American Bagel & Barista II for allowing us to use their space for this event. It is a great feeling when a community comes together like this to help each other get back to business.”