Diagnosis of COVID-19 is supremely valuable in unraveling the complex
dynamics involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection and in vaccine development. With an
extremely high transmission rate, and initial symptoms similar to other human
respiratory viruses, there has been a tremendous urge to develop and supply accurate
and rapid procedures for testing the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in a plethora of patient
specimens. Scientific and healthcare communities globally have been racing to develop
critically needed test kits and ensure ample supply worldwide. Containing the spread of
COVID-19 poses multiple challenges, including being able to correctly identify
asymptomatic viral carriers that result in the silent spread of the virus, and diagnosing
the infection at early stages. Current strategies employ molecular and serological
testing techniques in lower and upper respiratory tract samples. The first type detects
the presence of viral genetic material and can diagnose an active COVID-19 infection,
whereas serological immunoassays detect viral antibodies, which can help identify
individuals who have developed an adaptive immune response to the virus, as part of
an active or prior infection. The newly authorized antigen tests are designed for the
rapid detection of viral antigenic proteins. More elaborative diagnostic testing based on
viral genomic sequencing can determine the rate and degree of mutational variability
associated with SARS-CoV-2 and identifying newly emerging viral strains for more
effective vaccine development. The chapter also highlights the role of rapid, easy-to
use point-of-care diagnostic tests in alleviating the challenge posed by the strain on the
healthcare system and mitigating the cost of care for both individuals and the
government.
Keywords: Antibody, Antigen, Biomarker, Biosensor, Chest CT, COVID-19,
CRISPR, Cytokine, Detection, Diagnosis, ELISA, Hematological analysis,
Immunoassay, Isothermal amplification, Microarray, POC tests, RT-PCR, SARSCoV-
2, Serology, Viral RNA.
