Clin Chem Lab Med
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Objectives The ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses formidable challenges to all health care systems. Serological assays may be used for improving disease management when appropriately applied, for investigating the antibody responses mounted against SARS-CoV-2 infection and for assessing its real prevalence. Although testing the whole population is impractical, well-designed serosurveys in selected subpopulations in specific risk groups may provide valuable information. ⋯ Conclusions Seroprevalence surveys are of utmost importance for understanding the rate of population that has already developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. The present study defined precisely the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of HCW in the Veneto Region, with its prevalence (4.6%) reflecting a relatively low circulation. Symptomatic individuals or those hospitalized for medical care were 100% antibody positive, whilst Abs were only detectable in 58% of asymptomatic carriers.
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Objectives Serological assays for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are increasingly used during the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-Coronavirus-2. Here we evaluated the analytical and clinical performance of three commercially available SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays. Methods A total of 186 samples from 58 patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection were measured using SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays by Siemens Healthineers, Roche Diagnostics and Euroimmun. ⋯ Discordant results were observed in three COVID-19 patients and in one COVID-19 patient none of the investigated assays detected antibodies. Conclusions The investigated assays were highly specific and sensitive in detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in samples obtained ≥14 days after PCR-confirmed infection. Discordant results need to be investigated in further studies.