COVID-19 serologic testing: FAQs and caveats

[摘要] There has been an immense amount of discussion regarding the potential usefulness of serologic testing for COVID-19. Serologic testing has never been routinely used for diagnosing infections with “respiratory viruses” such as influenzae, parainfluenzae, respiratory syncytial viruses, adenoviruses, or metapneumovirus, nor was it used routinely for diagnosis during the global epidemics of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and H1N1 influenza. However, the pandemic status of COVID-19 and the shortage of nucleic acid detection kits and swabs in certain areas raise the prospect of resorting to serology as an alternative to direct testing for the virus, and it is relevant to ask how useful it may be. The Infectious Diseases Society of America has recently issued a clear statement on COVID-19 serology.

[学科分类] 卫生学