SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, has resulted in a global pandemic. Serology assays, depending on their instructions for use, can be used for discerning seroprevalence, screening volunteers for vaccine trials and convalescent plasma donations, as well as indicating potential infection or vaccine-induced immune response.
Several commercially available SARS-CoV-2 immunoassays have been evaluated for their sensitivity and further studies have evaluated the role of the antigen target in its ability to assess potential protection against reinfection.
Public health strategies going forward will be based on the ability to answer how circulating antibody levels that are specific for each viral antigen change with time following natural infection and which serological assays best predict protective immune response.
Key learning objectives
- Understand the role serology plays in the clinician toolbox for managing COVID-19
- Know the differences in correlation with neutralization for assays that target the spike protein versus the nucleocapsid
- Learn the importance of long-term kinetics of antibody titers and the corresponding effectiveness of commercial assays in correctly interpreting testing protocols