Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Serology Testing – A Laboratory Primer

In 2019, an emerging coronavirus, SARS-COV-2, was first identified. In the months since, SARS-CoV-2 has become a global pandemic of unimaginable scale. In 2021, SARS-CoV-2 continues to be a huge public health burden and a dominating issue in health care. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 has placed a spotlight on laboratory medicine and its key role in infectious disease management. The SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing landscape is vast and consists of dozens of antibody tests that have received EUA. The laboratory is faced with choosing the right test, staying current with the rapidly evolving recommendations, and updating test information for clients and clinicians. This review addresses what we know about the humoral response in SARS-CoV-2 infection and how this knowledge translates into appropriate serology test choice, utility, and interpretation.