Clinical application of serologic testing for coronavirus disease 2019 in contemporary cardiovascular practice

In patients with cardiovascular disease, the use of antibody or serological testing is frequently encountered as the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic continues to evolve. Antibody testing detects one form of the acquired immunological response to a pathogenic antigen. Once the immune system recognizes a viral antigen or a protein as foreign, a humoral immune response is initiated, which is generally detected by laboratory testing in 5 to 10 days after the initial exposure. While this information is critical from a public health perspective to implement surveillance systems and measures to limit infectivity and transmission rate, the misinterpretation of serologic testing in clinical practice has generated much confusion in the medical community because some attempted to apply these strategies to individual patient’s treatment schemes. In this mini-review, we examine the different serologic-based testing strategies, how to interpret their results, and their public health impact at the population level, which are critical to contain the transmission of the virus in the community within a busy cardiovascular practice. Further, this review will also be particularly helpful as vaccination and immune therapy for coronavirus disease 2019 become available to the society as a whole.