The COVID-19 global pandemic of 2019–2020 pointedly revealed the lack of diagnostic solutions that are able to keep pace with the rapid spread of the virus. Despite the promise of decades of lab-on-a-chip research, no commercial products were available to deliver rapid results or enable testing in the field at the onset of the pandemic. In this critical review, we assess the current state of progress on the development of point-of-care technologies for the diagnosis of viral diseases that cause pandemics. While many previous reviews have reported on progress in various lab-on-a-chip technologies, here we address the literature from the perspective of the testing needs of a rapidly expanding pandemic. First, we recommend a set of requirements to heed when designing point-of-care diagnostic technologies to address the testing needs of a pandemic. We then review the current state of assay technologies with a focus on isothermal amplification and lateral-flow immunoassays. Though there is much progress on assay development, we argue that the largest roadblock to deployment exists in sample preparation. We summarize current approaches to automate sample preparation and discuss both the progress and shortcomings of these developments. Finally, we provide our recommendations to the field of specific challenges to address in order to prepare for the next pandemic.

Background: The etiological agent for pandemic COVID-19 is severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2. Hematological and biochemical parameters are the indicators of inflammation and coagulopathy. Aims and Objectives: The present study aimed to determine how effectively the hematological parameters and biochemical markers can help predict the severity of critically ill COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: The current retrospective cohort study was conducted among 200 COVID-19 patients admitted in the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, India. In our lab’s computerized system, certain hematological and biochemical parameters of the patients were retrieved and recorded. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was done to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of hematological and biochemical parameters. Results: Total leukocyte count (TLC), absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), D-dimer, and serum ferritin had a significant relationship with severity among ICU patients (P<0.05). ALC, D-dimer, and serum ferritin can be used to predict the severity of COVID patients with area under the ROC-AUC curve values of 0.717, 0.725, and 0.710, respectively. Platelet to lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte to monocyte ratio, and C-reactive protein were not useful to predict the severity of COVID illness. Conclusion: Hb concentration, TLC, NLR, D-dimer, and serum ferritin were significantly raised in critically ill COVID patients. ROC curve analysis showed that ALC, serum ferritin, and D-dimer were able to predict the severity of COVID illness effectively. Conclusively, these parameters can be used to track the prognosis of patients.

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Summer internships serve important roles in training the next generation of biomedical researchers and healthcare providers through laboratory and clinical experiences that excite trainees about these fields and help them make informed decisions about career paths. The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) pandemic and associated physical distancing restrictions precluded implementation of traditional in-person summer curricula and led to the cancellation of many internships across the USA. COVID-related disruptions also created opportunities for trainees to engage in remote research, become proficient in online learning platforms, and explore multidisciplinary topics. These skills are highly relevant to trainees as virtual interfaces occupy an increasingly mainstream role in their professional paths. The response to the COVID pandemic required real-time adaptations at all levels for major biomedical institutions including the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB). Pivoting summer programs to a virtual format as part of this response provided a “teachable moment” to expose trainees to the innovation and resilience that are essential components of the biomedical profession. UMB summer programs, which span diverse biomedical disciplines from cancer research to diabetes, consolidated resources and identified mentors with online research projects to develop a robust virtual curriculum. Herein, data from a cancer-focused internship illustrate the collaborative adaptations to established components and creation of new learning modules in the transition to, and implementation of, online training. Outcomes are presented in the context of the COVID pandemic and significant societal issues that arose in the summer of 2020. The utility of virtual components and their impact on future programsis discussed. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13187-021-02124-w.