Antibody tests for COVID-19

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 virus caused a globally growing pandemic call coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has disrupted  social, political, and medical environments around the world. Nations are assessing ways to reopen businesses while trying to balance health care risks and economic  fallouts. Strategies involving antibody testing have been proposed before phased reopening of the economy. Therefore, assessing the sensitivity and specificity of antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2 detect the presence of IgA, IgM, or IgG antibodies produced by B cells. There are four major types of antibody tests: rapid diagnostic tests, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, neutralization assays, and chemiluminescent immunoassays. Currently, there is no standard antibody test for detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies during or after exposure or infection. The antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2 have a low specificity within the first week of exposure and increase in the second and third weeks. The current data on antibody tests have several limitations in quality and the presence of bias. Specifically, many antibody tests have a high false-negative rate and a high risk of bias for participant selection, application of index tests, reference standard used, and flow and timing for antibody tests that may incorrectly report the accuracy of COVID-19 antibody tests. In this review, we summarize the current methods, sensitivity/specificity, and gaps in knowledge concerning COVID-19 antibody testing.

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Faculty credentials/disclosure 

Dr. Kopel is an MD/PhD student at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Dr. Goyal was assistant program director in internal medicine at the Medical Center of Central Georgia and assistant professor of medicine at Mercer University; he is currently completing a gastroenterology fellowship at the the Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. Dr. Perisetti is a fellow in gastroenterology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The authors and planner have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Process

Click the take course button, pay any relevant fee, take the quiz, complete the evaluation, and claim your CME credit.  You must achieve 100% on the quiz with unlimited attempts available.

  • By completing this process, you are attesting that you have read the journal article.
  • By claiming ABIM MOC credit you are providing permission to have your data uploaded into the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) system for transfer to the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM).

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Expiration date

Credit eligibility for this article is set to expire on January 1, 2023.

Target Audience

All physicians

Learning Objectives

After completing the article, the learner should be able to:

  • Understand how COVID-19 antibody tests work and recognize their uses and limitations
  • Apply the guidelines for administering COVID-19 antibody tests
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) MOC Part 2
    Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.00 MOC points in the American Board of Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    The A. Webb Roberts Center for Continuing Medical Education of Baylor Scott & White Health is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
  • 1.00 Attendance
Course opens: 
01/01/2021
Course expires: 
12/31/2022
Cost:
$25.00
Rating: 
0

Accreditation

The A. Webb Roberts Center for Continuing Medical Education of Baylor Scott & White Health is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Designation

AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

The A. Webb Roberts Center for Continuing Medical Education of Baylor Scott & White Health designates this Journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

 

American Board of Internal Medicine Maintenance of Certification (MOC)

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

Available Credit

  • 1.00 American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) MOC Part 2
    Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.00 MOC points in the American Board of Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    The A. Webb Roberts Center for Continuing Medical Education of Baylor Scott & White Health is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
  • 1.00 Attendance

Price

Cost:
$25.00
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