Laboratory Detection of SARS-CoV-2: A Review of the Current Literature and Future Perspectives

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is now a major public health threat worldwide. The infectivity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is extremely strong. Since the major target of the virus is the lung, the infection can lead to the respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure, and even death. The studies on viral structure and infection mechanism have found that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a key enzyme in the RAS system, is the receptor of SARS-CoV-2, and SARS-CoV-2 affects the target via ACE2. Currently, the detection of SARSCoV-2 is mainly achieved by using open plate real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). But open plate method has some limitations, such as a high false-negative rate, cumbersome manual operation, aerosol pollution and leakage risks. Therefore, a convenient method to detect SARS-CoV-2 is urgently needed for rapid test and timely control of the epidemic when resources are limited. In this paper, the existing real-time detection methods for novel coronavirus and their principles are summarized, in order to provide a reference for real-time screening of coronavirus in areas with insufficient detection capacity and inadequate medical resources. The establishment of a rapid, simple, sensitive and specific method for SARS-CoV-2 detection is of vital importance, especially in the flu season, so that SARS-CoV-2 can be differentially diagnosed, and effective measures can be taken.Funding Information: Funding was not availed for this article,Conflict of Interests: All authors declare they have no actual or potential competing interests.