Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Pages: 135-142

Journal: Journal of Laboratory Medicine

Volume number: 45

Issue number: 3

ISSN: 2567-9430

eISSN: 2567-9449

Open access status: Gold

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1515/labmed-2020-0135

Publisher: De Gruyter

Abstract: 
The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first recorded in Wuhan, China. The World Health Organization initially classified COVID-19 as a public health emergency and subsequently declared the disease a global pandemic. COVID-19 can take at least three distinct forms: severe acute distress syndrome with a potentially fatal outcome, mild respiratory illness (pneumonia with eventual recovery) and asymptomatic infection. All three disease forms have the potential to transmit the infection to healthy contacts. At present, realtime reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the only available laboratory tool to confirm the presence of viral RNA in patient specimens. These assays are designed to detect one or more (at least 2) SARS-CoV-2 RNA gene targets allowing the detection of the virus. Commercially available RT-PCR assays employ various gene targets of the viral genome in their assay systems. Additionally, there are differences in primer selection for the same gene region of SARS-CoV-2. At present, it is unclear whether the results from different RT-PCR assays are comparable in detecting the spectrum of COVID-19 manifestations. The purpose of the present article is twofold: first, to briefly focus on the findings of these reports; and second, to emphasize the various challenges and flaws that can potentially impact the diagnostic accuracy of RT-PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2.

Harvard Citation style: Sethi, S. and Chakraborty, T. (2021) Molecular (real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infections: complexity and challenges, Journal of Laboratory Medicine, 45(3), pp. 135-142. https://doi.org/10.1515/labmed-2020-0135

APA Citation style: Sethi, S., & Chakraborty, T. (2021). Molecular (real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infections: complexity and challenges. Journal of Laboratory Medicine. 45(3), 135-142. https://doi.org/10.1515/labmed-2020-0135