Road toward rapid-molecular point of care test to detect novel SARS-coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19): Review from updated literature

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) named by the WHO as a result of the global public health emergency. COVID-19 is caused by a new coronavirus named as novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV). From the first case reported in December 2019 it is now a pandemic situation and a major public health emergency. The COVID-19 transmission rate is very high, infecting two to three persons on average with contact to an already infected person. There is a need for the health system, specially in developing countries such as in Pakistan, to combat such a novel disease by rapid, accurate, and high quality diagnostic testing in order to screen suspected cases and also surveillance of the disease. A rapid, accurate and low-cost diagnostic point-of-care device is needed for timely diagnosis of COVID-19 and is essential to combat such outbreaks for compelling preventive measures against the disease spread. This review is to highlight the importance of point-of-care diagnostics device for robust and accurate diagnosis of COVID-19 in physician offices and other urgent healthcare-type settings and encourage academics and stake holders towards advancement in order to control outbreaks and develop the public health surveillance system.

Keywords: 2019 novel coronavirus; COVID-19; LAMP assay; Point of care diagnostics (PoC); Polymerase chain reaction (PCR).