Controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus responsible for Covid-19) is based on three key elements: good hygiene (washing hands, wearing a mask and social distancing), confirming the diagnosis of infected patients and then isolating them, and lastly, tracing, diagnosing and isolating the contacts of those infected.
Nevertheless, many of the people infected by the virus never show any signs of infection, making it difficult to detect, diagnose or isolate both them and their contacts. At the same time, it has been proven that they are indeed capable of passing the virus on. The challenge then is to isolate these “possible asymptomatic carriers” —without having to confine the entire population—in order to halt the progress of the disease.
By detecting early antibodies of those recently infected by the virus, seroscreening makes it easier to find asymptomatic carriers, thus making contact tracing, diagnosis and isolation of contacts much more effective.