COVID-19: looking ahead to winter 2022-23 and beyond

The aim of this webinar is to discuss best practice organization methods in preparation for the third winter season of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial to supporting medical decisions and preventing the diffusion of SARS-CoV-2. To control and monitor its epidemiology, the detection of SARS-CoV-2 specific RNA by rRT-PCR is currently considered the gold standard. However, these molecular-based methods are expensive, and the theoretical turnaround time of a few hours often exceeds 24 hours due to high sample volumes and finite laboratory capacity, especially during the winter season. Furthermore, the method’s high sensitivity can cause prolonged positivity, even though the individuals themselves are no longer considered infectious. Compared to rRT-PCR, less expensive SARS-CoV-2 antigen detecting assays, commercially available either as rapid or automated high-throughput tests, have a lower sensitivity. However, they have been shown to correlate with a high viral load. As such, they offer the possibility of quickly identifying individuals with a high viral load, who are also the most contagious.  Today, SARS-CoV-2 Ag testing has been fully established as an easy and efficient diagnostic tool for preventing the spread of infection. During this webinar, specific focus will be given to improving the samples workflow and the diagnostic approach for the diagnosis of COVID-19.

 

Learning Objectives