RT-LAMP-Based Molecular Diagnostic Set-Up for Rapid Hepatitis C Virus Testing.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections occur in approximately 3% of the world population. The development of an enhanced and extensive-scale screening is required to accomplish the World Health Organization's (WHO) goal of eliminating HCV as a public health problem by 2030. However, standard testing methods are time-consuming, expensive, and challenging to deploy in remote and underdeveloped areas. Therefore, a cost-effective, rapid, and accurate point-of-care (POC) diagnostic test is needed to properly manage the disease and reduce the economic burden caused by high case numbers. Herein, we present a fully automated reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP)-based molecular diagnostic set-up for rapid HCV detection. The set-up consists of an automated disposable microfluidic chip, a small surface heater, and a reusable magnetic actuation platform. The microfluidic chip contains multiple chambers in which the plasma sample is processed. The system utilizes SYBR green dye to detect the amplification product with the naked eye. The efficiency of the microfluidic chip was tested with human plasma samples spiked with HCV virions, and the limit of detection observed was 500 virions/mL within 45 min. The entire virus detection process was executed inside a uniquely designed, inexpensive, disposable, and self-driven microfluidic chip with high sensitivity and specificity.

Nano-engineered screen-printed electrodes: A dynamic tool for detection of viruses.

There is a growing interest in the development of portable, cost-effective, and easy-to-use biosensors for the rapid detection of diseases caused by infectious viruses: COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the central role of diagnostics in response to global outbreaks. Among all the existing technologies, screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) represent a valuable technology for the detection of various viral pathogens. During the last five years, various nanomaterials have been utilized to modify SPEs to achieve convincing effects on the analytical performances of portable SPE-based diagnostics. Herein we would like to provide the readers a comprehensive investigation about the recent combination of SPEs and various nanomaterials for detecting viral pathogens. Manufacturing methods and features advances are critically discussed in the context of early-stage detection of diseases caused by HIV-1, HBV, HCV, Zika, Dengue, and Sars-CoV-2. A detailed table is reported to easily guide readers toward the "right" choice depending on the virus of interest.

Management of COVID-19: current status and future prospects.

COVID-19, a highly transmissible pandemic disease, is affecting millions of lives around the world. Severely infected patients show acute respiratory distress symptoms. Sustainable management strategies are required to save lives of the infected people and further preventing spread of the virus. Diagnosis, treatment, and vaccination development initiatives are already exhibited from the scientific community to fight against this virus. In this review, we primarily discuss the management strategies including prevention of spread, prophylaxis, vaccinations, and treatment for COVID-19. Further, analysis of vaccine development status and performance are also briefly discussed. Global socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 is also analyzed as part of this review.

Diagnosis for COVID-19: current status and future prospects.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a respiratory illness caused by novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), had its first detection in December 2019 in Wuhan (China) and spread across the world. In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic disease. The utilization of prompt and accurate molecular diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 virus, isolating the infected patients, and treating them are the keys to managing this unprecedented pandemic. International travel acted as a catalyst for the widespread transmission of the virus.Areas covered: This review discusses phenotype, structural, and molecular evolution of recognition elements and primers, its detection in the laboratory, and at point of care. Further, market analysis of commercial products and their performance are also evaluated, providing new ways to confront the ongoing global public health emergency.Expert commentary: The outbreak for COVID-19 created mammoth chaos in the healthcare sector, and still, day by day, new epicenters for the outbreak are being reported. Emphasis should be placed on developing more effective, rapid, and early diagnostic devices. The testing laboratories should invest more in clinically relevant multiplexed and scalable detection tools to fight against a pandemic like this where massive demand for testing exists.