Two kinds of tests are available for COVID-19 – viral tests and antibody tests. Viral tests use throat or nasal swabs, which are then analyzed by PCR. Serological or antibody test can be used to help determine if a person has been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and if they have developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. This serological test can identify those that were infected and have recovered, which gives a broader picture of COVID-19 infection spread.
Recent work shared by a team from the Southern University of Science and Technology shows, how they developed a serological test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 using the chemiluminescence immunoassay method (Fig.1). The recombinant nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 was successfully expressed from E. coli and then immobilized to the magnetic beads to capture the IgM and IgG induced by SARS-CoV-2.
