Sars-Cov-2 Laboratory Testing In India'S Pandemic Response: A Public Health Perspective

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted (at the time of writing) in over 3.3 million cases and 233,000 deaths globally and similar to 33,000 cases and similar to 1,100 deaths in India. The mainstay of the diagnosis is a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The accurate diagnosis is contingent on appropriate specimen choice, time of collection, and assay employed. In this commentary, we highlight the role of laboratory diagnostic tests used in the different stages of India's COVID-19 pandemic response.