The outbreak of COVID-19 in China and its gradual spread over the entire
globe, irrespective of age, sex or origin, has posed a major threat to the health of the
entire human population. Investigations subsequent to the virus outbreak revealed that
the unknown etiology was a novel coronavirus, later referred to as the severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The treatment and survival of
patients have been largely dependent on an accurate diagnosis of this infection, both in
symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. Thus, highly sensitive and specific
laboratory diagnostic methods are imperative for the accurate diagnosis of this
condition. This manuscript focuses on various molecular and diagnostic imaging tools
for reliable diagnosis of COVID-19 and the correlation of their outcomes with those
from previous coronavirus epidemics. The molecular diagnostic tools include real-time
reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR), ELISA based detection of
early humoral response and DNA sequencing. The manuscript will also focus on
national and international policies of testing, additional developments, issues and
challenges faced in the diagnosis of COVID-19. The chapter will, therefore, highlight
the current regime followed, developments and the probable lacunae that, if overcome,
could improve the diagnostic schema of this disease.
Keywords: COVID-19, CRISPR, CT scan, Diagnosis, ELISA, FELUDA,
Oximetry, RT-LAMP, RT-PCR, SARS-CoV-2, SHERLOCK.
