Table 4. Comparison of main methods available in Brazil to detect COVID-19.
Technology	RT-PCR	ELISA	CLIA	Immunochromatography
Molecule tested	Viral RNA	Antibodies -IgA/IgM and IgG	Antibodies -IgA/IgM and IgG	Antibodies -IgM and IgG Few detect viral antigens
Type of sample required	Nasopharyngeal swabs or other upper respiratory tract specimens	Serum or plasma	Serum or plasma	Blood, plasma or Serum
Laboratory or point of care	Laboratory based	Laboratory based	Laboratory based	Point of care
Time to results	3-4 hours	1-5 hours	1-5 hours	15-30 minutes
Advantages	Gold Standard Multiple samples at once Acute phase detection	Multiple samples at once Identification of previous infection	Multiple samples at once Identification of previous infection	Fast
Disadvantages	Needs trained personnel Assays are easy to contaminate Difficult collection of sample	Needs trained personnel Detection limit for asymptomatic individuals	Needs trained personnel Detection limit for asymptomatic individuals	High rate of false negative