The role of molecular genetic techniques in COVID-19 diagnosis

Abstract

1 Sarem Fertility and Infertility Research Center (SAFIR), Sarem Women’s Hospital, Iran University of Medical Science (IUMS), Tehran, Iran Genetics Research Centre, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Background and aims: We have encountered many epidemics such as HIV, SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome corona viruses, Ebola virus, Zika and recently SARS-Cov-2. All these epidemics resulted from an animal to human transmission, during all these epidemics, absence of rapid and accurate molecular diagnostic testing has threatened the public health. Most tests for early detection of SARSCOV-2 RNA rely on reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, but isothermal mediated amplification assays and CRISPER based methods are thriving alternatives. Identification of individuals who have activated antibodies to the SARS COV-2 virus requires serological tests including enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) and lateral flow immunoassay and they can be used as complementary tests in complex cases. This report is an overview of current development in COVID 19 molecular genetic techniques and future improvement and innovation. Conclusion: There is an ongoing race to develop more efficient laboratory techniques and cost-effective, point-of-care test kits that can be used in large scale. While RT-PCR has been the dominant technique for detection of viral RNA, other nucleic acid assays such as isothermal amplification assays, hybridization microarray assays, amplicon-based metagenomics sequencing, and recently CRISPR-related technologies are also under development.