The High Authority for Health (HAS) presented on Saturday the cases where serological tests are useful in the fight against Covid-19, to confirm a diagnosis or for nursing staff and in collective accommodation.
HAS has focused on tests carried out in medical biology laboratories, called ELISA, and will give another opinion on rapid diagnostic tests or self-tests "in eight or ten days", said the president of HAS, Dominique Le Guludec, during an online press conference.
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Serological tests are a complement to virological tests, which make it possible to make a diagnosis and to tell if a patient is infected when they are carried out.
Serological laboratory tests are done by "blood test and seek to detect the antibodies that the body produces against a virus", said Dominique Le Guludec.
Useful in the absence of symptoms
They are "very precious and already answer many questions," she said. They allow to know if a person is sick or has been sick, "to complete or confirm the diagnosis".
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They are also useful "when there are no symptoms (...) for the staff of health establishments or collective accommodation places" such as nursing homes, prisons, barracks, university residences ...
"We finally say yes for epidemiological studies because it helps to better understand the epidemic, it helps to predict what will happen and to make the right decisions", continued Dominique Le Guludec.
A tool with limited effects
On the other hand, they do not make it possible to say if a person is contagious or if he is protected against the coronavirus. "Today, no serological test is capable of delivering you the immune passport that everyone dreams of deconfinement," she said.
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Consequently, these tests are not recommended for "screening in the general population", specified Ms. Le Guludec. The HAS excludes them from "the organization of work within a company", according to a press release.
These tests must be performed with a prescription, according to the HAS and ideally be reimbursed. Results are available within 24 hours maximum.