Diagnostic Strategies of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection: Operational Recommendations for Health Professionals

Due to the massive impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic worldwide, the accurate and early diagnosis and isolation of infected individuals remains the main way of rapidly curtailing the extension of the disease. The increasing incidence of mutations in the virus RNA sequence represents the principal challenge for the use of molecular approaches for COVID-19 diagnosis. Additionally, because severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads differently to that of its Coronaviridae counterparts, unconventional strategies and diagnostic algorithms must be utilized and comprehensively expanded. Therefore, in this study, we sought to conduct a detailed in-depth investigation using many scientific interfaces to i) determine the fastest, most cost-effective, and most comprehensive diagnostic techniques, and ii) identify the proper specimens used for SARS-CoV-2 detection. To accomplish that, we reviewed previous studies investigated for the diagnosis of COVID-19. These strategies are organized to help health professionals and policymakers to quickly choose and apply the appropriate diagnostic approaches.

Automated summary

Given the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, accurate diagnosis and isolation of infected individuals are crucial for swiftly containing the disease. The increasing mutations in the virus RNA sequence pose a challenge for molecular diagnostics, requiring unconventional strategies for effective containment. The spread of SARS-CoV-2 differs from other Coronaviridae viruses, necessitating comprehensive and innovative diagnostic approaches.