((PKG)) DOCTOR TESTING
((Banner: A Doctor, Testing))
((Reporter/Camera: Genia Dulot))
((Map: Huntington Beach, California))
((Main character: 1 male))
((NATS))
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
I am doctor Matthew Abinante. I am the owner of Elevated
Health here in Huntington Beach. We are a direct primary
care clinic and when this whole COVID pandemic kind of hit,
I wanted to be right out in front and do the testing. I had a
patient that I thought had COVID.
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
When I first started, patients would pull into the back lot and I
would don all my PPE [protective equipment] and this is the
way we would go. Patients would pull down this very narrow
driveway and I would come out and I would instruct them not
to roll down the window, to look straight ahead and then I
would come behind the vehicle and they would crack the
window this much and I would just reach my hand in like this
and do the swab. And so I said, “I am going to swab your
nose and I run away and don’t be offended. It’s a really
awkward visit but I’ll get back to you in two days with the
results.”
((NATS))
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
And then I saw how big this is going to be, the need, and I
saw that the government wasn’t really moving. I am not
critiquing them. The government is not big enough to save
everybody. So, I said, “Hey, I am a small town doc but I got
to do my part.”
((NATS))
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
We popped up here. I got permission from the mall owner
and here we are. We test about 200 cars a day.
((Banner: Now it is 300 a day))
We have about a seven hour wait every day and we end up
turning away cars. We’re only able to operate 9 am to 5 pm.
And the idea of a drive-through site, where somebody just
drives up, he keeps all their germs in their car and then they
come in and get tested, is really attractive for people and
we’re able to help a lot of people that way.
((NATS))
((Lynn, Patient))
I had symptoms in January, in early January and I had a
cough that lasted for like 3 or 4 weeks. So, I thought it would
be worthwhile to find out if I have the antibodies. For one
thing, if I did, then I could donate my plasma and for another,
I wouldn’t have to be so worried about, you know, infecting
someone, getting infected. If we wait for the federal
government to come through with antibody tests, it could be
months. 75 dollars was nothing to be sure that I hadn’t had
it.
((NATS))
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
The rapid antibody test is a cassette testing for IGM and IGG
and that test is 75 dollars. The other test is a nasal swab.
It’s looking for the actual antigen, the actual RNA of the
virus. PCR nasal swab is 125 dollars.
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
President Trump and all these local leaders say, “Testing is
free, nothing out of pocket. The insurance companies are
going to cover it.” Well, when you peel back the layers, it’s a
great talking point for the politicians, but getting down to the
nitty gritty as a doctor like myself in a small community, we
can’t get funding. So, we had to go to a private model. We
have close to 50 positives now. After today, we’ll probably
be close to 60 or 70 and all of these people, we check in on
them frequently. We are sending medications and I am
happy to report, you know, fingers crossed, I don’t want to
jinx it, but we have no patients that have been hospitalized.
((NATS))
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
My wife, we have four little daughters and she was quite
concerned and moved to San Diego, about an hour away,
with her family, which I don’t like to think about because it
will make me cry. Give me a few minutes to compose
myself here.
((NATS))
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
There just been a lot of, you know, like a small town doctor.
There’s been a lot of vitriol and accusations online about me
trying to create fear profiteer and that’s really hard when I’ve
been working 18-hour days and worrying about being sick
myself and not seeing my family. And so anyway, that’s kind
of hitting me.
((NATS))
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
I’ve put in probably about 40 thousand [dollars] and my
friend had put in 200 thousand [dollars]. We have a small
operation here. Normally our family practice, that much debt
and I am not comfortable with that much debt and that would
bankrupt our company. I really hope I could break even.
((NATS: Matthew Abinante))
One, two, three. Oh, didn’t hurt.
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
So, there is a control line. You always have one line. Two
lines would be IGG or IGM and then the third line would be
that you have both. If it’s negative, I am hoping to test on
Sunday morning and go see them (family) for Easter and I’ll
just to have to wear the mask and I would just, I miss my
kids and so, I am not going to cry this time.
((NATS: Matthew Abinante and patient))
What would you do if I was positive?
Well, you will have to test me right away.
It’s negative!!
Negative?
Yeah.
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor/Owner, Elevated Health))
In a way it’s disappointing. I keep telling patients this
because in a way you want to be positive for IGG and say,
“Hey, I already got through it! I am good!”
((NATS))
((Banner: There is still uncertainty whether exposure to the
virus guarantees immunity.
The government of California plans to increase testing in the
near future))
((Banner: A Doctor, Testing))
((Reporter/Camera: Genia Dulot))
((Map: Huntington Beach, California))
((Main character: 1 male))
((NATS))
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
I am doctor Matthew Abinante. I am the owner of Elevated
Health here in Huntington Beach. We are a direct primary
care clinic and when this whole COVID pandemic kind of hit,
I wanted to be right out in front and do the testing. I had a
patient that I thought had COVID.
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
When I first started, patients would pull into the back lot and I
would don all my PPE [protective equipment] and this is the
way we would go. Patients would pull down this very narrow
driveway and I would come out and I would instruct them not
to roll down the window, to look straight ahead and then I
would come behind the vehicle and they would crack the
window this much and I would just reach my hand in like this
and do the swab. And so I said, “I am going to swab your
nose and I run away and don’t be offended. It’s a really
awkward visit but I’ll get back to you in two days with the
results.”
((NATS))
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
And then I saw how big this is going to be, the need, and I
saw that the government wasn’t really moving. I am not
critiquing them. The government is not big enough to save
everybody. So, I said, “Hey, I am a small town doc but I got
to do my part.”
((NATS))
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
We popped up here. I got permission from the mall owner
and here we are. We test about 200 cars a day.
((Banner: Now it is 300 a day))
We have about a seven hour wait every day and we end up
turning away cars. We’re only able to operate 9 am to 5 pm.
And the idea of a drive-through site, where somebody just
drives up, he keeps all their germs in their car and then they
come in and get tested, is really attractive for people and
we’re able to help a lot of people that way.
((NATS))
((Lynn, Patient))
I had symptoms in January, in early January and I had a
cough that lasted for like 3 or 4 weeks. So, I thought it would
be worthwhile to find out if I have the antibodies. For one
thing, if I did, then I could donate my plasma and for another,
I wouldn’t have to be so worried about, you know, infecting
someone, getting infected. If we wait for the federal
government to come through with antibody tests, it could be
months. 75 dollars was nothing to be sure that I hadn’t had
it.
((NATS))
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
The rapid antibody test is a cassette testing for IGM and IGG
and that test is 75 dollars. The other test is a nasal swab.
It’s looking for the actual antigen, the actual RNA of the
virus. PCR nasal swab is 125 dollars.
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
President Trump and all these local leaders say, “Testing is
free, nothing out of pocket. The insurance companies are
going to cover it.” Well, when you peel back the layers, it’s a
great talking point for the politicians, but getting down to the
nitty gritty as a doctor like myself in a small community, we
can’t get funding. So, we had to go to a private model. We
have close to 50 positives now. After today, we’ll probably
be close to 60 or 70 and all of these people, we check in on
them frequently. We are sending medications and I am
happy to report, you know, fingers crossed, I don’t want to
jinx it, but we have no patients that have been hospitalized.
((NATS))
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
My wife, we have four little daughters and she was quite
concerned and moved to San Diego, about an hour away,
with her family, which I don’t like to think about because it
will make me cry. Give me a few minutes to compose
myself here.
((NATS))
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
There just been a lot of, you know, like a small town doctor.
There’s been a lot of vitriol and accusations online about me
trying to create fear profiteer and that’s really hard when I’ve
been working 18-hour days and worrying about being sick
myself and not seeing my family. And so anyway, that’s kind
of hitting me.
((NATS))
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
I’ve put in probably about 40 thousand [dollars] and my
friend had put in 200 thousand [dollars]. We have a small
operation here. Normally our family practice, that much debt
and I am not comfortable with that much debt and that would
bankrupt our company. I really hope I could break even.
((NATS: Matthew Abinante))
One, two, three. Oh, didn’t hurt.
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor; Owner, Elevated Health))
So, there is a control line. You always have one line. Two
lines would be IGG or IGM and then the third line would be
that you have both. If it’s negative, I am hoping to test on
Sunday morning and go see them (family) for Easter and I’ll
just to have to wear the mask and I would just, I miss my
kids and so, I am not going to cry this time.
((NATS: Matthew Abinante and patient))
What would you do if I was positive?
Well, you will have to test me right away.
It’s negative!!
Negative?
Yeah.
((Matthew Abinante, Doctor/Owner, Elevated Health))
In a way it’s disappointing. I keep telling patients this
because in a way you want to be positive for IGG and say,
“Hey, I already got through it! I am good!”
((NATS))
((Banner: There is still uncertainty whether exposure to the
virus guarantees immunity.
The government of California plans to increase testing in the
near future))
