ABSTRACT
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is one of the most sensitive analytical tools. In some cases, it is possible to record a high-quality SERS spectrum in which even a single molecule is involved. Therefore, SERS is considered a significantly promising option as an alternative to routine analytical techniques used in food, environmental, biochemical, and medical analyzes. In this review, the definitive applications of SERS developed to identify biochemically important species (especially medical and biological) from the simplest to the most complex are briefly discussed. Moreover, the potential capability of SERS for being used as an alternative to routine methods in diagnostic and clinical cases is demonstrated. In addition, this article describes how SERS-based sensors work, addresses its advancements in the last 20 years, discusses its applications for detecting Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and finally describes future works. The authors hope that this article will be useful for researchers who want to enter this amazing field of research.