Testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

What you need to know:

Positive antibodies show evidence of previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus

Antibody testing should be undertaken at least two weeks after onset of symptoms

The sensitivity and specificity of antibody tests vary over time and results should be interpreted in the context of clinical history

Antibody testing might have a useful role in diagnosing covid-19 in patients with late presentation, prolonged symptoms, or negative results from reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction tests

Evidence is currently insufficient to know whether individuals with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies have protective immunity

Read more: https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3325