Insights into the SARS-CoV-2 Diagnosis in India: Present Status and Future Prospects

COVID-19, the infectious pandemic disease is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This deadly disease was unknown before its catastrophic outbreak of the infection in Wuhan city of China, in December 2019. The pandemic situation has increased the demand of rapid enhancement of the in-vitro diagnostic assays which would enable the mass screening and testing. Several molecular and serological diagnostics assays such as direct viral antigen tests, nucleic acid amplification tests and serological tests were developed. Nucleic acid tests such as RT-PCR. TrueNAT, Feluda Test, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) etc. detect the presence of RNA virus in the nasal or throat swab or from saliva. Antigen tests detect the presence of a virus as the antigen, which is a surface protein. Antibody tests such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), lateral flow assays (LFA), chemiluminescence assays (CLIA) etc. detect the presence of antibodies generated against SARS-CoV-2 in the blood samples.