CSCC Special Lectureship
Thursday September 17, 2020
14:00 ET
Sponsored by
COVID-19 serology testing experience from Canadian clinical laboratories
Speakers:
Dr. Julie Shaw
Head, Division of Biochemistry, The Ottawa Hospital and EORLA, Ottawa ON
Dr. Christopher McCudden
Clinical Biochemist, Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association
Dr. Vilte Barakauskas
Clinical Biochemist, BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Vancouver BC
Program:
SARS-CoV-2 assay validation and seroprevalence amongst Health Care Workers
Dr. Julie Shaw
I will discuss in-house validation data for three commercial assays. I will then discuss data from a study we are conducting, looking at seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Health Care Workers (HCW) at The Ottawa Hospital. There are two phases to this study. Phase 1 focuses on HCW who previously tested positive for COVID-19 by RT-PCR. Phase 2 focuses on HCW working in areas of the hospital deemed to be high-risk for exposure due to the patient populations being served.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
1) describe elements to be included in validation of a serological assay such as that for SARS-CoV-2
2) describe limitations of these types of validations
3) appreciate the utility of serological assays based on sensitivity and specificity data.
COVID-19 serology testing experience from Canadian clinical laboratories
Dr. Christopher McCudden
This presentation will describe a research study on the prevalence and durability of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Eastern Ontario.
Study objectives:
1) quantify the number of residents in Eastern Ontario who have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, had an immune response (either symptomatic or asymptomatic), and carry antibodies against SARS-CoV-2
2) characterize the rise and fall pattern of antibodies over time in a selective
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
1) describe how seroprevalence may be estimated
2) list challenges and benefits of seroprevelance studies
3) describe the prevelance of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Eastern Ontario
Measuring COVID-19 Antibodies – When, why and how
Dr. Vilte Baraskauskas
This session will provide an overview of the humoral immune response to COVID-19 infection and how this relates to the performance and utility of SARS-CoV-2 serological testing. Canadian recommendations for test validation and use will be reviewed and recent real-world data and experience with assay validation and performance summarized.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
1) describe how our current understanding of the antibody response during COVID-19 infection relates to the utility of serological testing
2) review what is known about CoV-2 serology test performance
3) outline factors to consider in the evaluation of COVID-a9 serology assays.
There is no charge to attend this lecture but it is necessary to register