Evaluación de métodos de detección moleculares del coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

Coronaviruses can lead to inter-species jumps, as occurred with SARS-CoV-2 emerging as COVID-19. With high transmissibility, lethality, and population susceptibility, it swiftly advanced, necessitating public health measures to contain it. Scientific advancements facilitated rapid viral agent sequencing, diagnostic method development, and vaccine production, reversing this situation, highlighting the necessity for precise and practical point-of-care diagnostic methods (POCT). In this study, we analyze the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic methods and their integration with other sciences and technologies. On one hand, we validate the use of a portable thermocycler and a PCR-based kit in healthcare settings, comparing them with commercial antigen tests and our own method based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA). We compare these POCT methods with each other and with the reference method, demonstrating the efficacy of the PCR-based method over others. Advancements in this realm enable better containment of present infectious agents and adaptation to future infectious phenomena.