Advances in Viral Diagnostic Technologies for Combating COVID-19 and Future Pandemics

Abstract

The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) threatens the health of the global population and challenges our preparedness for pandemic threats. Previous outbreaks of coronaviruses and other viruses have suggested the importance of diagnostic technologies in fighting viral outbreaks. Nucleic acid detection techniques are the gold standard for detecting SARS-CoV-2. Viral antigen tests and serological tests that detect host antibodies have also been developed for studying the epidemiology of COVID-19 and estimating the population that may have immunity to SARS-CoV-2. Nevertheless, the availability, cost, and performance of existing viral diagnostic technologies limit their practicality, and novel approaches are required for improving our readiness for global pandemics. Here, we review the principles and limitations of major viral diagnostic technologies and highlight recent advances of molecular assays for COVID-19. In addition, we discuss emerging technologies, such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) systems, high-throughput sequencing, and single-cell and single-molecule analysis, for improving our ability to understand, trace, and contain viral outbreaks. The prospects of viral diagnostic technologies for combating future pandemic threats are presented.

Ten Years of Lateral Flow Immunoassay Technique Applications: Trends, Challenges and Future Perspectives

“…This is also due to the fact that in contrast to other promising paper-based analytical platforms that mainly remain as laboratory prototypes, LFIA devices easily enter into real-life applications with a high market penetration mainly because they do not need extensive upgrades to become an end-user device [ 18 ]. The wide acceptance of LFIA devices also played an eminent role in the use of the platform for the detection of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), in the current pandemic situation, as we can still notice and as extensively reported in the literature [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ].…”

Self-collected oral, nasal and saliva samples yield sensitivity comparable to professionally collected oro-nasopharyngeal swabs in SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis among symptomatic outpatients

“…Containment of the current COVID-19 pandemic (Lu et al, 2020 requires broad-scale testing capacities (Zhu and Wong, 2020) for patients, potentially contagious persons and groups at risk of infection. Laboratory capacities for real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rtRT-PCR) have been significantly increased in many countries, and are complemented by novel rapid test devices based on antigen detection (Rai et al, 2021).…”

“…Still, professional-collected (oro-)nasopharyngeal samples are considered the gold standard (Marty et al, 2020, Pan et al, 2020. However, this approach remains challenging considering the needs of qualified medical personnel and protective equipment as well as the risk of potential virus transmission to health care workers or others at testing-sites (Zhu and Wong, 2020). Moroever, (oro-)nasopharyngeal sampling is being perceived as uncomfortable, and possibly deterring, by many patients.…”

Monoplex and multiplex immunoassays: approval, advancements, and alternatives

“…The analytical sensitivity and versatility have made LFIA the most commercially available POC diagnostic platform (Nardo et al 2021; 2). The wide acceptance of LFIA platform has also played a prominent role in the detection of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Espejo et al 2020;Ruhan et al 2020;Zhu and Woong 2020;Deeks et al 2020;Dinnes et al 2020;Vashist 2020;Mekonnen et al 2020;Kailasa et al 2021;Antiochia 2021;Ernst et al 2021) (Fig. 2).…”

“…The advancement in LFIA technology is the development of multiplex systems or format which allows the detection of various bacterial or viral antigens in a single assay (Nardo et al 2021 ; Andryukov 2020 ; Jørgensen et al 2015 ) (Table 2 ). The wide acceptance of LFIA platform has also played a prominent role in the detection of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Espejo et al 2020 ; Ruhan et al 2020 ; Zhu and Woong 2020 ; Deeks et al 2020 ; Dinnes et al 2020 ; Vashist 2020 ; Mekonnen et al 2020 ; Kailasa et al 2021 ; Antiochia 2021 ; Ernst et al 2021 ) (Fig. 2 ).…”