Combating the Progression of Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 Infectious Disease: Current State and Future Prospects in Molecular Diagnostics and Drug Discovery

A highly infectious and life-threatening virus was first reported in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, and it rapidly spread all over the world. This novel virus belongs to the coronavirus family and is associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), causing respiratory disease known as COVID-19. In March 2020, WHO has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. Its morbidity and mortality rates are swiftly rising day by day, with the situation becoming more severe and fatal for the co-morbid population. Many COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic, but they silently spread the infection. There is a need for proper screening of infected patients to prevent the epidemic transmission of disease and for early curative interventions to reduce the risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19. To date, the diagnostic assays are of two categories, molecular detection of viral genetic material by real-time RT-polymerase chain reaction and serological test, which relies on detecting antiviral antibodies. Unfortunately, there are no effective prophylactics and therapeutics available against COVID-19. However, a few drugs have shown promising antiviral activity against it, and these presently are being referred for clinical trials, albeit FDA has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the emergency use of a few drugs for SARS-CoV-2 infection. This review provides an insight into current progress, challenges and future prospects of laboratory detection methods of COVID-19, and highlights the clinical stage of the major evidence-based drugs/vaccines recommended against the novel SARS-CoV-2 pandemic virus.

Automated summary

In late 2019, a highly infectious and life-threatening virus called COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread globally. It belongs to the coronavirus family and causes severe respiratory disease similar to SARS. The pandemic has led to increasing morbidity and mortality rates, especially among vulnerable populations. Proper screening and early interventions are necessary to control the transmission and reduce the risk of severe complications. Diagnostic assays include molecular detection of viral genetic material and serological tests for detecting antibodies. Currently, there are no effective prophylactics or therapeutics, but some drugs are showing promising antiviral activity and are being tested in clinical trials. This review provides an insight into the laboratory detection methods for COVID-19 and the clinical stage of recommended drugs/vaccines against the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus.