SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic RNA: formation process and rapid molecular diagnostic methods

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Molecular Biology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19, leading to significant global health and economic impacts.
• Developing effective discharge standards and optimizing medical resource allocation for COVID-19 patients remain challenging.
• SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) is produced through a complex discontinuous transcription process and may indicate active viral replication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the formation process of SARS-CoV-2 sgRNA.
• To review commonly used molecular diagnostic methods for sgRNA detection.
• To propose novel strategies for clinical detection of SARS-CoV-2 sgRNA.

Main Methods:

• Review of scientific literature on SARS-CoV-2 transcription and sgRNA formation.
• Analysis of various molecular diagnostic techniques for detecting viral RNA.
• Discussion of the clinical implications of sgRNA detection.

Main Results:

• SARS-CoV-2 sgRNA is a product of the virus's discontinuous transcription.
• sgRNA detection is proposed as a potential indicator of active viral replication in patients.
• Molecular methods offer sensitive detection of sgRNA, aiding in patient assessment.

Conclusions:

• sgRNA detection can potentially serve as a biomarker for evaluating the condition of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
• Accurate sgRNA detection may lead to more efficient use of medical resources, including personal protective equipment (PPE).
• This review provides insights into sgRNA formation and detection methods, suggesting future directions for clinical diagnostics.