Abstract

Serological detection of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 is essential for establishing rates of seroconversion in populations, and for seeking evidence for a level of antibody that may be protective against COVID-19 disease. Several high-performance commercial tests have been described, but these require centralised laboratory facilities that are comparatively expensive, and therefore not available universally. Red cell agglutination tests do not require special equipment, are read by eye, have short development times, low cost and can be applied at the Point of Care. Here we describe a quantitative Haemagglutination test (HAT) for the detection of antibodies to the receptor binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The HAT has a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 99% for detection of antibodies after a PCR diagnosed infection. We will supply aliquots of the test reagent sufficient for ten thousand test wells free of charge to qualified research groups anywhere in the world.

Serological detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 can help establish rates of seroconversion. Here the authors develop a red cell agglutination test to detect antibodies against the receptor binding domain for distribution free of charge to qualified research groups.

Details

Title
A haemagglutination test for rapid detection of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2
Author
Townsend, Alain 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Rijal Pramila 1 ; Xiao, Julie 2 ; Tan, Tiong Kit 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Huang, Kuan-Ying A 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Schimanski, Lisa 1 ; Huo Jiandong 4 ; Gupta, Nimesh 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Rolle, Rahikainen 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Matthews, Philippa C 7 ; Crook, Derrick 8 ; Hoosdally Sarah 9 ; Dunachie Susanna 10   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Barnes, Eleanor 11   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Street, Teresa 12 ; Conlon, Christopher P 13   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Frater, John 13   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Arancibia-Cárcamo, Carolina V 13 ; Rudkin Justine 14 ; Stoesser, Nicole 15   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Karpe Fredrik 16 ; Neville, Matthew 17   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ploeg Rutger 18   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Oliveira, Marta 18 ; Roberts, David J 19 ; Lamikanra, Abigail A 20 ; Tsang, Hoi Pat 20 ; Bown Abbie 21 ; Vipond, Richard 21 ; Mentzer, Alexander J 22   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Knight, Julian C 23   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kwok, Andrew J 22   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Screaton, Gavin R 24   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Juthathip, Mongkolsapaya 25   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Dejnirattisai Wanwisa 22 ; Supasa Piyada 22 ; Klenerman, Paul 26 ; Dold, Christina 27 ; Kenneth, Baillie J 28   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Moore, Shona C 29   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Openshaw Peter J M 30   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Semple, Malcolm G 29   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Turtle Lance C W 29   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ainsworth, Mark 31 ; Allcock, Alice 22 ; Beer, Sally 31   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Sagida, Bibi 32 ; Skelly Donal 31   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Stafford Lizzy 31 ; Jeffrey, Katie 31   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; O’Donnell Denise 31 ; Clutterbuck, Elizabeth 32 ; Espinosa, Alexis 31 ; Mendoza, Maria 31 ; Georgiou, Dominique 31 ; Lockett, Teresa 31 ; Martinez, Jose 31 ; Perez, Elena 31 ; Gallardo Sanchez Veronica 31 ; Scozzafava Giuseppe 31 ; Sobrinodiaz Alberto 31 ; Thraves Hannah 31 ; Joly Etienne 33   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  John Radcliffe Hospital, MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2306 7492); University of Oxford, Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS) Oxford Institute (COI), Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948) 
2  John Radcliffe Hospital, MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2306 7492) 
3  Chang Gung University, Research Center for Emerging Viral Infections, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan (GRID:grid.145695.a); Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Taoyuan, Taiwan (GRID:grid.413801.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 0711 0593) 
4  The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Structural Biology, Didcot, UK (GRID:grid.507854.b) 
5  National Institute of Immunology, Vaccine Immunology Laboratory, New Delhi, India (GRID:grid.19100.39) (ISNI:0000 0001 2176 7428) 
6  University of Oxford, Department of Biochemistry, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948) 
7  John Radcliffe Hospital, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2306 7492); University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948) 
8  John Radcliffe Hospital, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2306 7492); University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7); John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2306 7492) 
9  University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948); John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2306 7492) 
10  University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948); Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.410556.3) (ISNI:0000 0001 0440 1440) 
11  University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.410556.3) 
12  University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.410556.3); John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2306 7492) 
13  University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7) 
14  University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Population Health, Big Data Institute, Oxford, USA (GRID:grid.8348.7) 
15  John Radcliffe Hospital, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2306 7492); University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7) 
16  John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2306 7492); University of Oxford, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948) 
17  University of Oxford, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948) 
18  University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) 
19  John Radcliffe Hospital, NHS Blood and Transplant, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2306 7492); University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, BRC Haematology Theme and Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford, USA (GRID:grid.8348.7) 
20  John Radcliffe Hospital, NHS Blood and Transplant, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2306 7492) 
21  Public Health England, Salisbury, UK (GRID:grid.271308.f) (ISNI:0000 0004 5909 016X) 
22  University of Oxford, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948) 
23  University of Oxford, Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS) Oxford Institute (COI), Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948); John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.8348.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2306 7492); University of Oxford, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948) 
24  University of Oxford, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948); University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Division of Medical Sciences, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) 
25  University of Oxford, Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS) Oxford Institute (COI), Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948); University of Oxford, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948); Mahidol University, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research Unit, Office for Research and Development, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand (GRID:grid.10223.32) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0490) 
26  University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948) 
27  University of Oxford, Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948); University of Oxford, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948) 
28  University of Edinburgh, Genetics and Genomics, Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, UK (GRID:grid.4305.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 7988) 
29  University of Liverpool, NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Liverpool, UK (GRID:grid.10025.36) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8470) 
30  Imperial College London, National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, London, UK (GRID:grid.7445.2) (ISNI:0000 0001 2113 8111) 
31  Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.410556.3) (ISNI:0000 0001 0440 1440) 
32  University of Oxford, Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948) 
33  University of Toulouse, CNRS, Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology (IPBS), Toulouse, France (GRID:grid.508721.9) 
Publication year
2021
Publication date
2021
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20411723
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22045-y
ProQuest document ID
2506702985
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.