[Application of laboratory diagnostic technologies for SARS-CoV-2: current progress and prospect]

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Molecular Biology
• Diagnostic Technologies

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic spurred rapid advancements in pathogen detection techniques.
• Accurate and timely diagnosis is critical for disease control and understanding viral evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and summarize the basic rationales, technical characteristics, and current applications of various SARS-CoV-2 detection techniques.
• To highlight the potential of these innovative methods for future pathogen detection.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic technologies.
• Analysis of techniques including qRT-PCR, mNGS, antibody detection, RT-LAMP, digital PCR, and SHERLOCK.

Main Results:

• Quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) and metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) are mainstays for diagnosis and monitoring viral variation.
• Antibody detection (IgM and IgG) aids in auxiliary diagnosis.
• Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (RT-LAMP) offers high specificity.
• Digital PCR provides quantitative nucleic acid detection, while SHERLOCK demonstrates high sensitivity.

Conclusions:

• Various SARS-CoV-2 detection techniques, each with unique strengths, are vital for pandemic response.
• These methods show significant potential for future applications in pathogen detection and diagnostics.