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Review
. 2021 Mar:270:106538.
doi: 10.1016/j.bpc.2020.106538. Epub 2020 Dec 28.

Recent trends in analytical and digital techniques for the detection of the SARS-Cov-2

Chitrangada Das Mukhopadhyay  1 , Pramita Sharma  2 , Koel Sinha  2 , Keshav Rajarshi  3
Affiliations
Review

Recent trends in analytical and digital techniques for the detection of the SARS-Cov-2

Chitrangada Das Mukhopadhyay et al. Biophys Chem. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

The current global outbreak of COVID-19 due to SARS-CoV-2 is an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Considering the gravity of its impact there is an immediate need to develop a detection technique that is sensitive, specific, fast, and affordable for the clinical diagnosis of the disease. Real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)-based detection platforms are contemplated to be the gold standard to detect viral RNA. However, that may be susceptible to errors, and there is a risk of obtaining false results, which ultimately compromises the strategy of efficient disease management. Several modern techniques exhibiting assured results with enhanced sensitivity and specificity against the SARS-CoV-2 associated viral components or immune response against it have been developed and may be implemented. The review deals with the conventional RT-PCR detection techniques and compares them to other detection platforms viz., biosensor based detection of antigens, fluorescent or colorimetric detection systems including CRISPR-Cas 13 based SHERLOCK kit, CRISPR Cas-9 based FELUDA test kit, CRISPR DETECTR kit, Next Generation Sequencing or microarray-based kits. These modern techniques are great as a point of care detection methods but should be followed by RT PCR based detection for the confirmation of COVID-19 status.

Keywords: Biosensors; CRISPR-Cas; Immunosensor; Microarray; Next-generation sequencing; Nucleic-acid amplification; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; Serological test.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interest.

Figures

Unlabelled Image
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Approximate Timeline for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Collection of sample and various detection techniques of SARS-CoV-2
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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