The effects of 4 laboratory test kits in early detecting of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus

Objective To compare the 4 test kits on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) gene, antigen and antibody for early diagnose of SARS patients. Methods Three enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used to detect SARS-CoV IgG, IgM and N protein and fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (F-PCR) kit was used to detect SARS-CoV RNA. Results In 162 serum samples, 90.2%(55/61) became N protein positive in 1-5 days and 92.8%(13/14) became positive IgM and IgG in 15-18 days after the onset of disease, respectively. On 82 gorgling samples, the positive rates of F-PCR were 56.3%(14/24) in 1-5 days and 71.4%(10/14) in 6-9 days after the onset. Conclusion Other than F-PCR, N protein had good effect in the early detection on dubious patients which could lead to effective prevention and control of the epidemic.