3 FACTORS
to help decide on the appropriate SARS-CoV-2 test
The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has disrupted the lives of billions of people. And it led to a wealth of questions on how to manage the virus. Many of these questions can be answered with the help of diagnostic tests.
There's a growing variety and availability of tests related to SARS-CoV-2. All types of tests can help healthcare providers make more accurate diagnosis, support better management of individual patients and provide better guidance to manage population risk.
Choosing the appropriate test depends on the following factors:
Factor 1
Disease stage
Diagnosing active infections and managing resolved infections require different technologies.
References
- Bullard J, Dust K, Funk D, et al. Predicting infectious SARS-CoV-2 from diagnostic samples. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2020/05/22/ 2020.
- Woelfel R, Corman VM, Guggemos W, Seilmaier M, et al. Clinical presentation and virological assessment of hospitalized cases of coronavirus disease 2019 in a travel associated transmission cluster. 2020. medRxiv 2020.03.05.20030502.
- Weiss A, Jellingso M, Sommer MOA. Spatial and temporal dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. EBioMedicine. Aug 2020;58:102916.
- Sethuraman N, Jeremiah SS, Ryo A. Interpreting Diagnostic Tests for SARS-CoV-2. JAMA. 2020/06/09/ 2020;323(22):2249-2251.
- Zou L, Ruan F, Huang M, et al. SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load in Upper Respiratory Specimens of Infected Patients. N Engl J Med. Mar 19 2020;382(12):1177-1179.
Factor 2
Testing location
Different healthcare settings require different instruments and tests.
Factor 3
Testing purpose
The selection of the appropriate test also depends on the respective question one wants to answer.
Testing types provided by Roche
Meeting the testing needs across the healthcare continuum requires a broad SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics portfolio.