At present (28th May 2020), based on current evidence, WHO recommends the use of these new point-of-care immunodiagnostic tests only in research settings. They should not be used in any other setting, including for clinical decision-making, until evidence supporting use for specific indications is available. WHO continues to evaluate available immunodiagnostics tests for COVID-19 and will update this scientific brief when necessary.
FIND’s suggested potential uses for RDT’s (given the current evidence):
- Ag RDTs should be prioritized for case management to enable decentralized testing, especially when access to PCR testing is limited.
- Ab RDTs should be prioritized for seroprevalence surveys to inform public health measures and testing of contacts to establish previous spread of the virus.
Link to FIND’s information document on RDTs (including potential future uses for Ab and Ag RDTs).
The American CDC has published antibody test guidelines.
WHO’s scientific brief on the use of point-of-care immunodiagnostic tests for COVID-19 (this page also has a list of references).