COVID 19 Testing for Central Texas Employers: Thomas Graphics Plays it Safe

Thomas Graphics is a graphics services and printing company that’s been a mainstay in Austin for 30+ years. They provide any product or service imaginable to communicate with a customer’s clients, employees, stockholders or vendors.

They are an $11 million a year company and when they experienced a COVID outbreak late last year, a third of their workforce became sick and they were forced to shut down their operations for 14 days.

This translated to approximately $100K in lost revenue.  Plus, they had to use specialized UV cleaning services for their 28,000 square foot facility in North Austin. This was an additional $7,500.

In addition to implementing proper PPE and social distancing, Thomas Graphics’ founder, Bob Thomas, reached out to us to provide rapid antigen, rapid PCR and antibody testing for his employees.

“We can’t take any chances with another outbreak among our employees. We love the fact that Point of Care Health Services came out to our facility to do the testing because this meant little to no downtime for our team,” explained Thomas.

Our mobile testing units go to job sites to test employees not only for COVID, but also for common infections that mimic COVID, including flu, strep throat and other contagious illnesses. Test results are quick, often available within 15-30 minutes.

“Time-sensitive information provided quickly and securely by trusted, experienced healthcare providers at little or no out-of-pocket cost is critical for today’s employers and their workers,” said Dr. George Willeford III, our Chief Medical Director. 

What Are the Different Types of COVID Tests?

Rapid antigen tests detect the presence of a specific viral antigen, which looks for an active viral infection. These tests are currently approved to be performed as nasal cavity swab specimens which are then placed into a special solution for virus detection.  These can typically be done quickly – oftentimes in less than 30 minutes. Rapid antigen tests work best when the person being tested is in the early stages of infection – when the viral load is generally highest. They can also be helpful in diagnostic testing situations when a person has a known exposure to a confirmed COVID-19 case.

Rapid Molecular/PCR Tests: Results in 24-48 hours

Molecular/PCR tests are also known as Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAAT) and are based on detection of the virus’s generic material in a sample from a person’s nose.  These tests use isothermal technology, proprietary enzymes and constant temperature control to get the fastest available RNA amplification. This greatly reduces the time for results, allowing healthcare providers to make patient care decisions sooner.

SARS-Cov2 Antibody Test: Results in 15-30 minutes

The SARS-Cov2 antibody test is done through a simple, painless blood test. A positive antibody tests means a person has been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It does not mean he or she has an active infection. Antibodies typically start developing one to three weeks after infection.

For more information, or to schedule testing for your business, click here or call (512) 831-3660.

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