Diagnosis of COVID-19 for controlling the pandemic: A review of the state-of-the-art

To date, health organizations and countries around the world are struggling to completely control the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Scientists and researchers are developing tests for the rapid detection of individuals who may carry the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), while striving to find a suitable vaccine to immunize healthy individuals. As there are clinically reported cases of asymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2, fast and accurate diagnosis plays an important role in the control and further prevention of this disease. Herein, we present recent technologies and techniques that have been implemented for the diagnosis of COVID-19. We summarize the methods created by different research institutes as well as the commercial devices and kits developed by companies for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The description of the existing methods is followed by highlighting their advantages and challenges. Finally, we propose some promising techniques that could potentially be applied to the detection of SARS-CoV-2, and tracing the asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 rapidly and accurately in the early stages of infection, based on reviewing the research studies on the detection of similar infectious viruses, especially severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Recent technologies and techniques for the diagnosis of COVID-19 are presented. • Laboratory methods and commercial devices for SARS-CoV-2 detection are discussed. • CT, molecular, and serology tests’ pros and cons are elaborated. • Potential techniques are proposed as the future means of COVID-19 diagnosis. • LFA, AI, piezoelectric, and microfluidic devices could trace COVID-19 carriers.