· A wide range of tests are available for detection of viral RNA as well as serological and immunoassays for antibodies developed due to exposure to SARS CoV-2 in infected persons. Despite the emerging research, information about clinical validity of tests is limited.
· Multiple factors affect test performance including the nature of the specific test, type of specimen and its quality, severity and duration of illness at the time of testing. These individual variations hamper assessment of diagnostic accuracy and suggest that a combination of tests on multiple types of specimens at serial time points might be needed to confirm a COVID 19 diagnosis.
· Point of care tests are desirable and needed to scale up testing in low resource settings; however, tests are of variable quality and more research is needed before they can be relied on for clinical decision making.
Notes
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Williams-Roberts, H; Waldener, C. What is the accuracy of diagnostic tests for COVID-19 detection? 2020 May 12; Document no.: EPM051201 RR. In: COVID-19 Rapid Evidence Reviews [Internet]. SK: SK COVID Evidence Support Team, c2020. (CEST rapid review report)