Lateral flow immunoassays for SARS-CoV-2
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-1-2022
Abstract
The continued circulation of SARS-CoV-2 virus in different parts of the world opens up the possibility for more virulent variants to evolve even as the coronavirus disease 2019 transitions from pandemic to endemic. Highly transmissible and virulent variants may seed new disruptive epidemic waves that can easily put the healthcare system under tremendous pressure. Despite various nucleic acid-based diagnostic tests that are now commercially available, the wide applications of these tests are largely hampered by specialized equipment requirements that may not be readily available, accessible and affordable in less developed countries or in low resource settings. Hence, the availability of lateral flow immunoassays (LFIs), which can serve as a diagnostic tool by detecting SARS-CoV-2 antigen or as a serological tool by measuring host immune response, is highly appealing. LFI is rapid, low cost, equipment-free, scalable for mass production and ideal for point-of-care settings. In this review, we first summarize the principle and assay format of these LFIs with emphasis on those that were granted emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration followed by discussion on the specimen type, marker selection and assay performance. We conclude with an overview of challenges and future perspective of LFI applications.
Keywords
dipstick, immunochromatography, antigen, antibody, diagnostic, serology, point-of-care, immunosensor
Divisions
InstituteofBiologicalSciences
Publication Title
Diagnostics
Volume
12
Issue
11
Publisher
MDPI
Publisher Location
ST ALBAN-ANLAGE 66, CH-4052 BASEL, SWITZERLAND