Canadian Consensus Guidance on SARS-CoV-2 Serology Testing and Reporting
The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists issued interim consensus guidance for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing, covering assay performance, antibody kinetics, pediatric considerations, and point-of-care testing limitations. The document provided harmonized interpretive comments and reporting recommendations for clinical laboratories deploying commercial serology platforms. It served as a practical framework during the early pandemic when laboratories urgently needed standardized approaches to a novel analyte.
The original study
Canadian society of clinical chemists (CSCC) interim consensus guidance for testing and reporting of SARS-CoV-2 serology.
- Authors
- Bailey D, Konforte D, Barakauskas VE, Yip PM, Kulasingam V, Abou El Hassan M, et al.
- Journal
- Clinical biochemistry
- Type
- Journal Article, Review, Consensus Statement
- PMID
- 33031819
Original abstract
Clinical laboratories across the world are working to validate and perform testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Herein, we present interim consensus guidance for Canadian clinical laboratories testing and reporting SARS-CoV-2 serology, with emphasis on the capabilities and limitations of these tests and recommendations for interpretative comments in an effort to achieve harmonized laboratory practices. The consensus document provides a broad overview of topics including sample type and contamination risk; kinetics of antibody response to COVID-19 and the impact on serology testing; clinical utility of SARS-CoV-2 serology testing; clinical performance of commercial laboratory-based assays commonly deployed in North America; recommendations for interim reporting; utility of SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing for pediatric patients; and utility of point-of-care testing. The information is based on the current literature and is subject to change as additional information becomes available.