Abstract
As the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic evolves, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody (Ab) testing has emerged as an additional or alternative tool for COVID-19 diagnosis. The two antigens used in serological test are the nucleocapsid protein (N) and the spike protein S1 domain (S). In this study, we aimed to validate the performance of seven types of commercial lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) kits and four types of antibody detection reagents using autoanalyzers as serological testing for COVID-19. Seven types of LFIA kits were purchased from five companies, Kurabo, RayBiotech, Innovita Biological Technology, LumiQuick Diagnostics, and Lepu Medical Technology. Four types of antibody detection reagents were obtained from three companies, Abbot, Roche Diagnostics, and Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics. We tested sequential sera from two patients diagnosed as having COVID-19 by reverse transcription (RT)-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The IgG Ab against the SARS-CoV-2 N protein was detected earlier than IgM Ab, whereas IgM and IgG Ab against the SARS-CoV-2 S protein were detectable from the early stage of infection. These results suggest that S-based Ab detection has a potential for the early detection of SARS-CoV-2 in hospitals, clinics, and test laboratories.
