Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic is still escalating and has shaped an extraordinary and pressing need for rapid diagnostics with high sensitivity and specificity. Prompt diagnosis is the key to mitigate this situation. As several diagnostic tools for COVID-19 are already available and others are still under development, mandating a comprehensive review of the efficacy of existing tools and evaluate the potential of others. Areas Covered Currently explored platforms for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics and surveillance centered on qRT-PCR, RT-PCR, CRISPR, microarray, LAMP, lateral flow immunoassays, proteomics-based approaches, and radiological scans are overviewed and summarized in this review along with their advantages and downsides. A narrative literature review was carried out by accessing the freely available online databases to encapsulate the developments in medical diagnostics. Expert Opinion An ideal detection method should be sensitive, specific, rapid, cost-effective, and should allow early diagnosis of the infection as near as possible to the point of care that could alter the current situation for the better. Medical diagnostics is a highly dynamic field as no diagnostic method available for SARS-CoV-2 detection offers a perfect solution and requires more attention and continuous R&D to challenge the present-day pandemic situation

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The emergence of numerous variants of SARS-CoV-2 has caused massive setbacks and prolonged the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the variants are still under investigation, while some have become a reason of grave concern. One such variant is B.1.617.2, known as the Delta variant, which was first detected in India. A comprehensive analysis and comparison of this particular variant have been done to the original Wuhan strain, and the possible reasons behind rapid mutation have also been discussed.A comprehensive literature search was done to summarize the information on the variants of SARS-CoV-2 and the reasons behind their mutation, with a significant focus on the B.1.617.2 variant. Data were collected from various online sources such as PubMed, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, Worldometer, WHO, CDC, and GISAID. In addition, 3D structures of spike proteins were obtained from Protein Data Bank (PDB).The data shows that the spike protein of the B.1.617.2 strain is highly mutated and has accumulated eight amino acid changes. Besides spike protein, changes in non-structural proteins (nsP2, nsP3, nsP4, nsP12, and nsP15), other structural proteins (nucleocapsid and membrane protein), and accessory proteins (ns3, ns7a) have been observed as well. Furthermore, in almost all the variants of SARS-CoV-2, D614G mutation occurs, suggesting its role in increased infectivity and transmission.New variants are continuously emerging on which we have no control. Spike mutations are more favored and essential in the evolution of new variants because it increases the transmissibility and infectivity of the virus. Therefore, to maximally protect public health, knowledge of different variants is essential.