May 4, 2020

Early Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in COVID-19 Patients as a Serologic Marker of Infection

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Testing and Treatment

• Using CHO cell expressed full length SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein as capturing antigen, Zhao et al. develop and validate a rapid COVID-19 serology ELISA kit able to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibody 1 day after the onset of COVID-19. The reported specificity and sensitivity of the ELISA kit was 97.5% and 97.1%, respectively, with overall accuracy rate of 97.3% (based on 412 negative and 69 positive samples). Rapid serological tests such as these could contribute to additional surveillance in hospitals and other frontline environments where there is a high volume of close contact with confirmed cases. 

Zhao et al. (May 1, 2020). Early Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in COVID-19 Patients as a Serologic Marker of Infection. Clinical Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa523