Testing for SARS-CoV-2 has two main stages.

The first is diagnostic testing in patients with acute symptoms. The question being asked here is: Are the symptoms in this patient due to COVID-19 or something else? This is the most important question in the early stages of this pandemic.

The second type of testing is designed to answer the question: Has this person been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and developed an immune response? Can they be removed from isolation and permitted to go back to work/school etc? Is the community developing herd immunity?

These questions are becoming increasingly important as we move to the next phase of the pandemic. And there is a pressing need for answers.