Evaluation of immunochromatographic test for the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

Introduction: Immunological tests are used as a complementary diagnosis in epidemiological surveillance. Objectives: To evaluate the immunochromatographic test for the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, using ELISA IgM/IgG as a reference test for COVID-19. Methodology: The study carried out compared IgM/IgG immunochromatographic tests with the ELISA IgM/IgG test. The estimation of sensitivity and specificity of said test was also carried out. We worked with 50 serum samples for IgM and 50 samples for IgG. Results: The sensitivity of the immunochromatographic test evaluated for the detection of IgM antibodies was 78.95% and a specificity of 48.39%. Regarding the immunochromatographic test for the detection of antibodies, IgG was 72.00% sensitive and 76.00% specific. Discussion: The agreement between the immunochromatographic test for the detection of IgM/IgG antibodies and the ELISA test for the detection of IgM/IgG antibodies shows a regular and moderate agreement according to the kappa index. The evaluation of immunochromatographic tests presents a lower sensitivity and specificity compared to other tests.