A Meta-Analysis on The Comparison of The Sensitivity of Three Test Methods Used in the Diagnosis of COVID-19

Accurate detection of the global epidemic-causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is for disease surveillance. Additionally, RT-qPCR has been accepted as a reference test and is widely used for this purpose. However, RT-qPCR applications are not possible in all health centers. Therefore, the tests commonly used in the diagnosis of infectious disease should be evaluated from all angles to assess their potential role in the prognosis and management of COVID-19 patients.

The present study aimed to compare the diagnostic sensitivity of point of care (POC), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and computed tomography (CT) used in the diagnosis of COVID-19.

This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted via searching in databases such as NCBI, Google Scholar, and Medline in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA).

The pooled sensitivity of POC, ELISA, and CT was estimated at 68.62%, 88.05%, and 75.43%, respectively. In addition, the mean correct positivity rate of POC, ELISA, and CT was calculated to be 68.61%, 88.04%, and 79.25%, respectively. The sensitivity and true positivity rate of ELISA was observed to be the highest.

According to the results, ELISA is a more accurate approach to the diagnosis of COVID-19 compared to POC and CT owing to its high sensitivity and true positivity rate, low false negative rate, short processing time, and simple study procedure. Although helpful in diagnosis, confirmation of ELISA results by polymerase chain reaction remains the ‘gold standard’.