Diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection: clarity is key
The discovery of the virus responsible for the current pandemic has led to a huge demand for diagnostic tests. Several have been introduced, but there has also been much confusion due to the dissemination of not always reliable information on the matter.
Guido Antonelli of the Department of Molecular Medicine of Sapienza recently published an editorial in the journal Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease. The piece analyses, critically and precisely, the characteristics of the tests available to diagnose the infection and the type of information they can provide. The direct tests, the so-called "molecular swab" and antigenic test, detect the presence of the virus, whereas the serological analysis is an indirect test that allows the detection of antibodies produced by the infected organism against the virus.
Stefania Stefani from the Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences of the University of Catania and Mauro Pistello from the Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery of the University of Pisa also worked on the project.
"Test results are not only used to diagnose the presence of infection but also to identify infected patients, isolate them and trace their contacts," says Guido Antonelli. "The data obtained may not provide unambiguous or definitive answers, but they are the fundamental element for the definition of the disease - and, for this reason, they need a rigorous evaluation". Moreover, - the authors continue - they should be the object of careful and correct scientific communication.
However, even though we have been living with this virus for some months now and many aspects of our lives are rapidly changing, we still know little about the natural history of the infection and how to monitor it over time. "It is likely," concludes Antonelli, "that the way forward is a combination of the various tests to detect the presence of the virus and its spread, but further research is needed, and we know that good research must be careful, cautious and, if necessary, slow".
References
SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics: Some reflections on current assays – Guido Antonelli, Stefania Stefani, Mauro Pistello - Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2020.115237
Further Information
Guido Antonelli
Department of Molecular Medicine