Antibody Response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome- Corona Virus 2, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications

The immune response against severe acute respiratory syndrome-corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is comprised of both cellular and humoral arms. While current diagnostic methods are mainly based on polymerase chain reaction, they suffer from insensitivity. Therefore, antibody-based serologic tests are being developed to achieve higher sensitivity and specificity. Current efforts in treating SARS-CoV-2 infection include blocking of viral entry into the host cells, prohibiting viral replication and survival in the host cells, and reducing the exaggerated host immune response. Administration of convalescent plasma containing antiviral antibodies was proposed to improve the outcome in severe cases. In this paper, we review some of the aspects associated with the development of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and their potential use for improved diagnosis and therapy.