Laboratory-Based Diagnostic Tools for COVID-19: An Overview of Challenges and Limitations

The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS Cov-2) as a pandemic has been a catastrophic clinical situation afflicting millions and affecting the socioeconomic scenario across the world. These unprecedented circumstances have evoked the need for an early and accurate diagnosis, followed by immediate and effective treatment of the disease. A reliable, rapid, and correct diagnosis is required to prevent transmission and for early patient management. False-negative results hasten the spread of the contagion, while false-positive results cause nonessential therapy and may result in unwarranted agony to the individual. Therefore, detection of the virus should be through accurate, rapid, and convenient diagnostic tests. Various immunological and nucleic acid amplification-testing kits are currently in use. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is a promising technique for COVID-19 diagnosis, but it is not accessible at the primary hospital level. For accurate detection of the coronavirus, sample collection plays a crucial role. Usually, a nasopharyngeal swab is collected as a sample. However, in some instances, to confirm detection, sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples may be obtained from the lower part of the respiratory tract. The purpose of this review is to provide a brief overview of the specimen selection and laboratory techniques available for detecting SARS Cov-2 so that medical professionals can strategize the setting up of sophisticated and well-equipped diagnostic centers.

Laboratory-Based Diagnostic Tools for COVID-19: An Overview of Challenges and Limitations Keywords:

Coronavirus , COVID-19 , Lab diagnosis , Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction , Immunological assay