[Application of laboratory diagnostic technologies for SARS-CoV-2: current progress and prospect].

ABSTRACT

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the detection capability has been improving and the detection techniques have been evolving with innovations. qRT- PCR and mNGS, which represent the current mainstay diagnostic technologies, play key roles in disease diagnosis and monitoring of virus variation. The detection technologies based on serum and plasma IgM and IgG antibodies are important for auxiliary diagnosis. RT-LAMP is highly specific for a diagnostic purpose. Digital PCR could quantitatively detect nucleic acid and SHERLOCK has a higher sensitivity. These techniques all have great potential for future development and application for pathogen detection. In this review the authors summarize the basic rationales, technical characteristics and the current application of the SARS-CoV-2 detection techniques.