On-Demand webinar
Summary:
SARS-CoV-2 has had a profound effect on almost every country in the world. Here in the United States, there are over 7.5 million confirmed cases and over 210,000 deaths. In patients with severe disease, COVID-19 can affect many organ systems including lungs, heart, kidneys, liver, brain and others. The diagnosis of patients suspected of COVID-19 relies upon clinical presentation as well as laboratory findings. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) remains the primary diagnostic tool to confirm the presence of the virus. However, SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing also plays an important role in the determination of a patient’s immune response to the virus. It is now well known that there are many patients that may have been infected, remain asymptomatic or only exhibit mild symptoms. Therefore, antibody testing can also be used to determine the true infection rate. The FDA, under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), approved many antibody tests for routine clinical use. However, some of these tests have sub-optimal sensitivity and specificity. This presentation will focus on methods used in diagnosing the SARS-CoV-2 infection and the clinical utility of laboratory testing.
Speaking on these findings, Dr. Jim Aguanno, Ph.D. senior clinical consultant at Siemens Healthineers, will help you:
Discuss the various types of diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection
Discuss some of the advantages and limitations of both PCR and antibody testing
Describe the impact of sensitivity and specificity of antibody testing on positive and negative predictive value
Speaker:
Dr. Jim Aguanno, Ph.D.
Senior Clinical Consultant, Siemens Healthineers
Dr. Jim Aguanno has over 40 years of experience in laboratory medicine. He received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Memphis State University. Following his Ph.D., he did two post-doctoral fellowships one at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Biochemistry and a second fellowship in Laboratory Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Aguanno was Director of the Core Laboratory at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas for 24 years. Dr. Aguanno joined Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics in January of 2004 and is currently Senior Clinical Consultant in the Clinical and Scientific Affairs group focusing on cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases and general aspects of laboratory medicine.
