Mass Spectrometry Approaches for SARS-CoV-2 Detection: Harnessing for Application in Food and Environmental Samples

The public health crisis caused by the emergence of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019 has drastically changed our lifestyle in virtually all contexts around the world. SARS-CoV-2 is mainly airborne, transmitted by the salivary droplets produced when infected people cough or sneeze. In addition, diarrhea symptoms and the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in feces suggest a fecal-oral route of contagion. Currently, the high demand for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis has surpassed the availability of PCR and immunodetection probes and has prompted the development of other diagnostic alternatives. In this context, mass spectrometry (MS) represents a mature, robust alternative platform for detection of SARS-CoV-2 and other human viruses. This possibility has raised great interest worldwide. Therefore, it is time for the global application of MS as a feasible option for detecting SARS-CoV-2, not only in human fluids, but also in other matrices such as foods and wastewater. This review covers the most relevant established methods for MS-based SARS-CoV-2 detection and discusses the future application of these tools in different matrices. Significance: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted the pros and cons of currently available PCR and immunodetection tools. The great concern over the infective potential of SARS-CoV-2 viral particles that can persist for several hours on different surfaces under various conditions further evidenced the need for reliable alternatives and high-throughput methods to meet the needs for mass detection of SARS-CoV-2. In this context, MS-based proteomics emerging from fundamental studies in life science can offer a robust option for SARS-CoV-2 detection in human fluids and other matrices. In addition, the substantial efforts towards detecting SARS-CoV-2 in clinal samples, position MS to support the detection of this virus in different matrices such as the surfaces of the packing food process, frozen foods, and wastewaters. Proteomics and mass spectrometry are, therefore, well positioned to play a role in the epidemiological control of COVID-19 and other future diseases. We are currently witnessing the opportunity to generate technologies to overcome prolonged pandemics for the first time in human history.