SERS Technique for Detection of COVID-19: A Review

The detection of new variants of COVID-19 still faces challenges due to various observations in human society as well as possible reservoirs in domestic and wild animals, and the prediction of possible future pandemics requires accurate and early detection of viruses. Although different techniques have been used to detect COVID-19, advanced diagnostic assay methods are needed for better and more efficient control of COVID-19. One of the analytical and sensitive techniques for detecting viruses is surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), which provides a fingerprint for any biomolecule. The widespread application of SERS technology in integration with immunoassay methods has provided great achievements in the diagnostic studies of viruses. Likewise, the ultra-sensitive diagnostic ability of the SERS method using substrates based on plasmonic nanostructures has been proven in various biological researches. In addition, by optimizing various conditions such as improving the ability and repeatability of SERS detection and increasing the efficiency of the platforms used for early detection of coronavirus-19, the problems of traditional approaches can be solved. Thus, SERS is a promising option in the early detection of COVID-19 in the recent pandemic. In this review, some diagnostic applications of the SERS technique for the COVID-19 identification are briefly discussed, which we hope will be useful for researchers.