Trends in biosensing platforms for SARS-CoV-2 detection: A critical appraisal against standard detection tools

Aziz, Ayesha; Asif, Muhammad; Ashraf, Ghazala; Farooq, Umer; Yang, Qiaoli; Wang, Shenqi

In this ongoing theme of COVID-19 pandemic, highly sensitive analytical testing platforms are extremely necessary to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antiviral antibodies. To limit the viral spread, prompt and precise diagnosis is crucial to facilitate treatment and ensure effective isolation. Accurate detection of antibodies (IgG and IgM) is imperative to understand the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in public and to inspect the proportion of immune individuals. In this review, we demonstrate and evaluate some tests which have been used commonly to detect SARS-CoV-2. These include nucleic acid tests and serological tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and specific antibodies in infected people. Moreover, the vitality of biosensing technologies emphasizing on optical and electrochemical biosensors towards the detection of SARS-CoV-2 has also been discussed here. The early diagnosis of COVID-19 based on detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction owing to virus induced dysfunctioning of lung cells has also been highlighted.