Consistency of the results of rapid serological tests for SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers in a large national hospital in Tokyo, Japan

Abstract

We assessed the consistency of seropositive results of three rapid immunoassays (Kits A, B, and C) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) compared to highly accurate serological tests (Abbott and Roche) among healthcare workers in a hospital in Tokyo. The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G was 0.41%, 2.36%, and 0.08% using Kits A, B, and C, respectively. Of the 51 samples that were seropositive on any rapid test, all were seronegative on both the Abbott and the Roche assays. Given that the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G varied widely according to the choice of rapid test and the rapid test results were inconsistent with the results of highly accurate tests, the diagnostic accuracy of rapid serological tests for SARS-CoV-2 should be assessed before introducing these tests for point-of-care testing or surveillance.