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Review
. 2024 Jul 26;25(15):8155.
doi: 10.3390/ijms25158155.

Comprehensive Review of COVID-19: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Advancement in Diagnostic and Detection Techniques, and Post-Pandemic Treatment Strategies

Yiu-Sing Chung  1 , Ching-Yin Lam  1 , Pak-Hei Tan  1 , Hin-Fung Tsang  1 , Sze-Chuen Cesar Wong  1
Affiliations
Review

Comprehensive Review of COVID-19: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Advancement in Diagnostic and Detection Techniques, and Post-Pandemic Treatment Strategies

Yiu-Sing Chung et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

At present, COVID-19 remains a public health concern due to the ongoing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and its prevalence in particular countries. This paper provides an updated overview of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of COVID-19, with a focus on the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants and the phenomenon known as 'long COVID'. Meanwhile, diagnostic and detection advances will be mentioned. Though many inventions have been made to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, some outstanding ones include multiplex RT-PCR, which can be used for accurate diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. ELISA-based antigen tests also appear to be potential diagnostic tools to be available in the future. This paper also discusses current treatments, vaccination strategies, as well as emerging cell-based therapies for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The ongoing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 underscores the necessity for us to continuously update scientific understanding and treatments for it.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; endemic; post-pandemic; review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Top 10 countries with the highest number of cases reported to the WHO, cumulatively (as of 13 April 2024).
Figure 2
Figure 2
New COVID-19-confirmed cases from 24 September 2023 to 26 May 2024.
Figure 3
Figure 3
New deaths caused by COVID-19 from 24 September 2023 to 26 May 2024.
Figure 4
Figure 4
National trends of SARS-CoV-2 viral activity levels in wastewater from the US (accessed on 26 June 2024).
Figure 5
Figure 5
General workflow for a two-step RT-qPCR for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus. This figure was created with BioRender (https://biorender.com; accessed on 11 June 2024).
Figure 6
Figure 6
The architecture of LFIA for SARS-CoV-2 virus detection. This figure was created with BioRender (https://biorender.com; accessed on 11 June 2024).
Figure 7
Figure 7
General flow for using ELISA in SARS-CoV-2 viral antigen detection. This figure was created with BioRender (https://biorender.com; accessed on 11 June 2024).
Figure 8
Figure 8
The treatment strategies for COVID-19 patients. This figure was created with BioRender (https://biorender.com; accessed on 6 July 2024).
Figure 9
Figure 9
Three types of T cell therapies. (A) SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells, (B) CAR-T cells, and (C) regulatory T cells. This figure was created with BioRender (https://biorender.com; accessed on 11 June 2024).
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Supplementary concepts

Grants and funding

This research and APC were funded by the Lim Peng Suen Charity Foundation, grant number R-ZH6P.

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