Corona virus: an Overview Along with Its Alternative Diagnostic Measures

Abstract

Coronavirus, a positive sense Ribonucleotide Acid virus with spike-like structure as well as a zoonotic virus causing number of diseases in pigs, cows, chickens and recently in a tiger as well as humans. The worldwide emerging pandemic of a great concern to all the scientists, virologists, microbiologists, doctors and even to the common people. In December 2019 a life-threatening virus novel coronavirus 2019 (2019-nCoV) also called as (SARS-CoV) which is an outbreak emerged from the city of Wuhan in China and spread nation-wise to all the world. The disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 is a coronavirus disease COVID-19. SARS-CoV2 like SARS coronavirus uses receptor ACE2 to their entrance into the host cell. Many drugs like Hydroxy-chloroquine etc. used for the treatment as it decreases the effect of coronavirus by inhibiting the replication of the coronavirus. SARS-CoV-2 spreads faster than their two other ancestral species i.e., SARS (2002) and MERS (2012). This virus is spreading exponentially therefore its proper rapid diagnosis is of great concern for the infected ones by providing them medicos. In this review article we will focus on the different diagnostic methods for COVID which are based on molecular and serological testing. RT-PCR the first and rationally used technique to the diagnosis sometimes give false positive and false negative results ascribed to inaccurate isolation of the nucleic acids and takes 5-6 hours which are not applicable for the detection at early stage of infection. So other methods like RT-LAMP (Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification), FET (Field Effect Transistor) based biosensor detect S-protein on the virus surface, Lateral flow immunoassay (LFI) are the other alternative methods for diagnosis purposes.