COVID-19 Test Analysis
This analysis was published August 20th, 2020 in Nature Biotechnology and is intended to guide researchers, clinicians, and the public through the rapidly changing landscape of COVID-19 testing, helping them navigate the complexities of this new field and make data-driven decisions.
Our current data can be found here, and will be continuously updated and always freely available.
Resilience Health experts are available to guide businesses and institutions through the testing process. To learn more about the process please contact us
here.
When
New diagnostic tests continue to be approved under FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) guidelines. We track, aggregate, and standardize EUA tests and frequently update this website with our findings.
Explore the data↱What
We define and explain test types to help demystify their meanings in a world of ever-changing diagnostic approaches and results.
Explore the data↱How
Testing methods are complex and can vary greatly. We define and analyze the challenges of each.
Explore the data↱Limits
How much of the virus is in a sample can affect how different tests perform. We help evaluate the risk of false-negatives.
Explore the data↱Approved Tests
We have been tracking the emergence of new SARS-COV-2 virology tests approved by the FDA under its Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) since the first one was recognized on February 4, 2020. This resource will be frequently updated as new tests continue to be approved.
Click into the data visualizations below to select specific test parameters.
Test Types
A range of molecular diagnostic technologies are currently employed in the detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. We characterized the approved diagnostic tests by their respective methodologies with five main categories: polymerase chain reaction (PCR), isothermal nucleic acid amplification, next-generation sequencing (NGS), hybridization, and viral antigen detection.
Collection and Sample Types
The SARS-CoV-2 virus can be found in several areas of the body, including the respiratory tract, mouth, and nose. Some tests are approved for at-home collection whereas others require clinical sampling. Tests can be approved to analyze samples from a number of different collection methods including: nasopharyngeal swabs (NP), oranphayrngeal swabs (OP), nasal swabs, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), sputum, saliva, and buccal.
Detection
In order to tell if a patient is infected, the virus must be detected within their sample. However, the amount of virus within any given sample can vary substantially for a number of different reasons. Therefore, tests that are capable of reliably identifying small amounts of the virus, and therefore have a low limit of detection (LoD), may be more likely to correctly identify a patient with COVID-19.
Average LoD for a given test (log10 copies/uL)
Continual Learning
There are a large number of attributes that affect how well COVID-19 tests function and perform, and we are aggregating these data and metadata to better understand the available options. Our current data can be found here, and will be continuously updated and always freely available.
If you are a manufacturer of one of the tests listed, please contact the authors of this paper if you have validated updates to your tests or results.
About Resilience Health
We are currently working with OpenCovidScreen and the XPRIZE to help quantify the proficiency of current and emerging tests.