Diagnosing COVID-19: the disease and tools for detection

Buddhisha Udugama, Pranav Kadhiresan, Hannah N Kozlowski, Ayden Malekjahani, Matthew Osborne, Vanessa YC Li, Hongmin Chen, Samira Mubareka, Jonathan B Gubbay, Warren CW Chan

ACS Nano 2020, 14, 4, 3822–3835 | DOI:10.1021/acsnano.0c02624

Abstract

COVID-19 has spread globally since its discovery in Hubei province, China in December 2019. A combination of computed tomography imaging, whole genome sequencing, and electron microscopy were initially used to screen and identify SARS-CoV-2, the viral etiology of COVID-19. The aim of this review article is to inform the audience of diagnostic and surveillance technologies for SARS-CoV-2 and their performance characteristics. We describe point-of-care diagnostics that are on the horizon and encourage academics to advance their technologies beyond conception. Developing plug-and-play diagnostics to manage the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak would be useful in preventing future epidemics.