What is it about?
When COVID-19 first struck, it was a novel disease, confusing to diagnose or treat. Clinicians were divided on how to go about its management. A 2020 paper attempted to help guide them. It summarized the main features of COVID-19. The focus was on diagnosis; various techniques were discussed in that respect. COVID-19 generally presents as a respiratory tract infection. Patients with a history of travel or contact with another infected person would further raise suspicion. The main signs and symptoms noticed among those with COVID-19 were: • Fever; • A dry cough; • Lack of energy; and • Shortness of breath. A loss of taste and smelling sense, joint and muscle pain, diarrhea, a lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and headaches were also reported among these patients. While most confirmed cases experienced mild or moderate disease, some faced a higher risk of becoming critical. These included people with comorbidities like: • Cardiovascular conditions; • Hypertension; • Diabetes; and • Cancer, among others. A low blood oxygen saturation and pressure indicated severe disease. Imaging techniques proved useful in the early diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia in patients. These included: • Chest x-rays; • Computed tomography (CT) scans; and • Lung ultrasounds. Another crucial aspect of managing the disease was its diagnosis. How could we know if someone was definitely infected with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19)? A few techniques came through in this respect. They could detect the virus, thus confirming a diagnosis of COVID-19. Among these, techniques that relied on identifying the virus's genetic sequence stood out. They were accurate, cheap, simple, and hence, counted as the gold standard. Viral isolation, electron microscopy, and biosensors could also aid diagnosis. Biosensors have another advantage: they require fewer lab and human resources to produce results.
Featured Image
Photo by Julia Koblitz on Unsplash
Why is it important?
COVID-19 is challenging to diagnose. This is mainly because it presents like many other respiratory infections. Adding to this was its novel nature, which means that the disease had no set diagnostic guidelines initially. In such a situation, this paper summarized what was already known about the disease and its diagnosis. This could aid those involved in disease management and control. KEY TAKEAWAY: Accurate and timely diagnosis of COVID-19 is critical. This helps treat patients and contain further spread of the virus. Reliable, convenient diagnostics are the need of the hour, and could aid disease control.
Perspectives
Plain Language Summary with Perspective COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which can affect people in different ways—from no symptoms at all to serious breathing problems or organ damage. Common signs include fever, cough, tiredness, sore throat, and sometimes stomach problems like diarrhea. Because these symptoms are similar to other illnesses, doctors rely on lab tests to confirm infection. Main tests include: 1. PCR tests: Detect the virus’s genetic material from nose or throat samples. They are the most accurate tests. 2. Rapid antigen tests: Detect viral proteins quickly (15–30 minutes) but are less accurate than PCR. 3. Antibody tests: Detect the body’s immune response, showing past infection. Doctors may also use chest scans and blood tests to assess severity. Combining symptoms, lab tests, and imaging helps doctors confirm COVID-19, provide timely treatment, and prevent virus spread. Perspective: While current tests are effective, there is room for improvement in speed, accessibility, and accuracy, especially in low-resource settings. Emerging approaches, such as rapid molecular tests and AI-assisted interpretation of imaging, can help doctors make faster, more accurate decisions. Early detection not only improves patient care but also strengthens public health responses by limiting virus transmission. Understanding how to integrate multiple diagnostic tools effectively is key to tackling COVID-19 and preparing for future infectious disease outbreaks Ahmed Tofik Ali Web of science reasercher https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/rid/AAO-7223-2020 Web of Science ResearcherID: AAO-7223-2020 ORCiD: 0000-0001-7966-7219
Medical plants curing COVID-19, HIV and all Virus Related Deasese Ahmed Tofik Ali
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Clinical and Laboratory Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, the Virus Causing COVID-19, ACS Infectious Diseases, August 2020, American Chemical Society (ACS),
DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00274.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Reviewing potential vulnerabilities in COVID-19 diagnostics
Laboratory medicine plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and containment of infectious and transmissible diseases like COVID-19. Hence, reducing testing errors in RT-PCRs is of paramount importance.
Increased risk of blood clotting in patients with SARS-CoV-2
Routine tests to monitor blood coagulation may help with early identification of severe forms of COVID-19 infections and help to reduce disease severity.
Reviewing potential vulnerabilities in COVID-19 diagnostics
Laboratory medicine plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and containment of infectious and transmissible diseases like COVID-19. Hence, reducing testing errors in RT-PCRs is of paramount importance.
Laboratory abnormalities in diagnostic tests for Covid-19 infection
Laboratory medicine plays a crucial role in the early detection and management of many diseases. An overview of the various abnormalities encountered during in-vitro diagnostic tests of patients is vital to understanding the clinical characteristics and behaviour of a disease like COVID-19.
Research and Diagnostic Resources for SARS-CoV-2 Studies”
This research draws on multiple types of resources to support accurate and comprehensive understanding of SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis: 1. Laboratory Resources PCR machines and reagents for detecting viral RNA, considered the gold standard in COVID-19 testing. Rapid antigen test kits for point-of-care detection of viral proteins. Serology kits for measuring antibodies and assessing past infection. Blood test analyzers for biomarkers (CRP, D-dimer, ferritin) to evaluate disease severity. 2. Clinical Resources Patient symptom records and medical histories to correlate clinical presentation with laboratory findings. Chest imaging equipment (X-ray, CT scanners) to assess lung involvement. Trained healthcare personnel for sample collection, testing, and patient monitoring. 3. Digital and Analytical Resources Electronic databases for recording and managing patient data securely. Data analysis tools for interpreting lab results and imaging. Literature databases (PubMed, ACS Publications, Web of Science) to review up-to-date diagnostic protocols and research trends. 4. Public Health and Reference Materials Guidelines from WHO, CDC, and national health authorities for standardized testing procedures. Reference virus sequences and control samples for assay validation.
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
