Point-of-Care Biosensor-Based Diagnosis of COVID-19 Holds Promise to Combat Current and Future Pandemics

Abstract

Efficient and rapid detection of viruses plays an extremely important role in disease prevention, diagnosis, and environmental monitoring. Early screening of viral infection among the population has the potential to combat the spread of infection. However, the traditional methods of virus detection being used currently, such as plate culturing and quantitative RT-PCR, give promising results, but they are time-consuming and require expert analysis and costly equipment and reagents; therefore, they are not affordable by people in low socio-economic groups in developing countries. Further, mass or bulk testing chosen by many governments to tackle the pandemic situation has led to severe shortages of testing kits and reagents and hence are affecting the demand and supply chain drastically. We tried to include all the reported current scenario-based biosensors such as electrochemical, optical, and microfluidics, which have the potential to replace mainstream diagnostic methods and therefore could pave the way to combat COVID-19. Apart from this, we have also provided information on commercially available biosensors for detection of SARS-CoV-2 along with the challenges in development of better diagnostic approaches. It is therefore expected that the content of this review will help researchers to design and develop more sensitive advanced commercial biosensor devices for early diagnosis of viral infection, which can open up avenues for better and more specific therapeutic outcomes.

Advances in emergent biological recognition elements and bioelectronics for diagnosing COVID-19

“…POC biosensors offers rapid and on-site detection of viruses and infection risks [ 95 , 96 ]. Two key features need to be considered for POC biosensors, including portability and sensitivity.…”

“…Two key features need to be considered for POC biosensors, including portability and sensitivity. Portable sensing devices open unique opportunities to speedily on-site detect viruses or track relevant symptoms by analyzing body fluids (such as saliva and blood) or viruses spread in our surroundings [ 95 , 97 ]. Besides, bioelectronics are crucial to strengthening modern digital health initiatives, enabling the immediate management because they are ready to provide measurable electrical signals that are convenient to connect to digital systems [ 98 – 100 ].…”

Nano- and biosensors for the detection of SARS-CoV-2: challenges and opportunities

“…66 Further, some techniques based on colorimetric, electrochemical, and lateral flow assays have demonstrated more portability, permitting for better operation in the field since they do not need laboratory infrastructure and instrumentation to obtain the results. 67,68 On the other hand, the plasmonic and magnetic techniques need laboratory infrastructure, and also have the advantage of higher throughput, providing more samples to be evaluated at one step; the electrochemical and plasmonic techniques allow better and fastest readout compared with the colorimetric and lateral flow ones. 24,58,66 Additionally, to design the well-organized biosensors, one of the important parts is transporting the targeted molecules to the functionalized surface of them.…”

Detection and disinfection of COVID-19 virus in wastewater

“…As the need for rapid diagnosis of COVID-19 cases is escalating, point-of-care or POC biosensors gained tremendous environmental (Kalyani et al 2020 ) and diagnostic importance (Choi 2020 ). Both chip-based and paper-based biosensors are useful for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 owing to their low cost, high sensitivity, portability, ease of handling, amenability miniaturization and multiplexing, and quick result outcomes (Choi 2020 ; Parihar et al 2020 ). In the present demanding situation for COVID-19, research focus is oriented towards development of optical, electrochemical, microfluidics and paper-based biosensors for reliable and sensitive diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially in emerging COVID-19 hot spots (Parihar et al 2020 ).…”