24 September 2020 - - The US Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the first serology (antibody) point-of-care test for COVID-19, the agency said.

The Assure COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test Device was first authorized for emergency use by certain labs in July 2020 to help identify individuals with antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, indicating recent or prior COVID-19 infection.

That EUA is being reissued to authorize the test for POC use using fingerstick blood samples. This authorization means that fingerstick blood samples can now be tested in POC settings like doctor's offices, hospitals, urgent care centers and emergency rooms rather than having to be sent to a central lab for testing.

Nearly 50 serology tests have been granted an EUA since the start of the pandemic. The Assure test is a lateral flow assay and is authorized for use with venous whole blood, serum, plasma and fingerstick whole blood.

This serology POC test, unlike POC COVID-19 diagnostic tests, uses a blood sample from the fingertip to run the test.

The FDA wants to remind patients that it is unknown how long antibodies persist following infection and if the presence of antibodies confers protective immunity, so they should not interpret results from a serology test as telling them they are immune, or have any level of immunity, from the virus.

Due to these unknowns, the FDA cautions patients against using the results from these tests, or any serology test, as an indication that they can stop taking steps to protect themselves and others, such as stopping social distancing, discontinuing wearing masks or returning to work.

The FDA also wants to remind the public that serology tests should not be used to diagnose an active infection, as they only detect antibodies the immune system develops in response to the virus not the virus itself. It is also important to remember that in a population with low prevalence, even high-performing antibody tests may produce as many or more false results as true results because the likelihood of finding someone who has been infected is very small.

Thus, it is necessary to consider that the results from two serology tests may be needed to generate reliable results.

The Assure COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test Device is currently the only FDA authorized COVID-19 POC serology test and is available by prescription only. The FDA continues to work with test developers to expand access to COVID-19 testing.