Exploring COVID-19 at the single-cell level: a narrative review

Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been an unmitigated disaster for society and the economy worldwide. However, much remains unknown about the pathogenesis of, treatment methods for, and preventive measures against COVID-19. Single-cell sequencing is a novel sequencing technology whose use has recently become prevalent in various life-science fields. This high-resolution technology is being used to analyze the COVID-19 pandemic at a single-cell level. In this review, we summarize the application of single-cell sequencing technology to the field of COVID-19-related research, including the biology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, clinical concerns associated with COVID-19, neutralizing antibody screening, and vaccine development. We also address challenges to, and improvements in, existing single-cell research related to COVID-19.