Interim guidance on the use of rapid antibody tests for COVID-19 response

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance for Ministries of Health  (MOHs) in the African Union Member States in the selection and application of rapid antibody tests to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This interim guidance will serve as a reference for the national laboratory leads and experts when selecting and prioritizing laboratory diagnostics for testing of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This document has elaborated the use case scenarios for antibody tests and emphasized the importance of choosing test kits with high-performance characteristics confirmed by independent evaluation using a large sample size. This interim guidance will be reviewed and updated as more evidence becomes available regarding the use of rapid antigen and antibody-based tests for SARS-CoV-2 from global studies and evaluation efforts.