Journal of Advanced Research

Journal of Advanced Research

Volume 26, November 2020, Pages 149-159
Journal of Advanced Research

Molecular diagnostic technologies for COVID-19: Limitations and challenges

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2020.08.002Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Abstract

Background

To curb the spread of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, the world needs diagnostic systems capable of rapid detection and quantification of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Many biomedical companies are rising to the challenge and developing COVID-19 diagnostics. In the last few months, some of these diagnostics have become commercially available for healthcare workers and clinical laboratories. However, the diagnostic technologies have specific limitations and reported several false-positive and false-negative cases, especially during the early stages of infection.

Aim

This article aims to review recent developments in the field of COVID-19 diagnostics based on molecular technologies and analyze their clinical performance data.

Key Concepts

The literature survey and performance-based analysis of the commercial and pre-commercial molecular diagnostics address several questions and issues related to the limitations of current technologies and highlight future research and development challenges to enable timely, rapid, low-cost, and accurate diagnosis of emerging infectious diseases.

Keywords

COVID-19
Clinical sensitivity
In vitro diagnostics
Real-time RT-PCR
Point-of-care
SARS-CoV-2

Cited by (0)

Adeel Afzal (http://aafzal.com/) studied Chemistry at the University of Vienna (Austria) and earned a Ph.D. in 2007. He developed synthetic antibodies as biomimetic coatings for chemical sensors using bulk and surface molecular imprinting techniques. Later, he worked as a Collaborator (Postdoc) at the University of Bari (Italy) and developed nanomaterials-based high-temperature electronic gas sensors. In 2012, he joined King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals affiliated colleges in Hafr Al Batin (Saudi Arabia) which is now known as the University of Hafr Al Batin. He is currently an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the College of Science, University of Hafr Al Batin (Saudi Arabia). His research interests include the development of imprinted and functional materials for chemical and biosensors and biomedical diagnostics.

Peer review under responsibility of Cairo University.