Biosensors for the Determination of SARS-CoV-2 Virus and Diagnosis of COVID-19 Infection

Abstract

Monitoring and tracking infection is required in order to reduce the spread of the corona-virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To achieve this goal, the development and deployment of quick, accurate, and sensitive diagnostic methods are necessary. The determination of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is performed by biosensing devices, which vary according to detection methods and the biomarkers which are inducing/providing an analytical signal. RNA hybridisation, antigen-antibody affinity interaction, and a variety of other biological reactions are commonly used to generate analytical signals that can be precisely detected using electrochemical, electrochemiluminescence, optical, and other methodologies and transducers. Electrochemical biosensors, in particular, correspond to the current trend of bioanalytical process acceleration and simplification. Immunosensors are based on the determination of antigen-antibody interaction, which on some occasions can be determined in a label-free mode with sufficient sensitivity.