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Open research questions in SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing

118 gap statements mined from SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 739 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

Choosing where to publish on SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing? See the ranked Medicine journals.

What the literature leaves open

  • The reliability of serological data depends on operational conditions, which are frequently challenged by fear, misinformation, and logistical constraints. There is a need to understand the challenges encountered during COVID-19 seroprevalence surveys in Kinshasa. The study aims to address this gap by exploring field workers' experiences.

    Challenges and Adaptations in COVID-19 Seroprevalence Surveys: Insights from Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo · 2026 · DOI

  • The study used a limited number of samples. The study did not evaluate all possible nucleic acid extraction methods. The study was limited to specific types of bacteria and viruses.

    Comparative Evaluation of Rapid Nucleic Acids Extraction Methods for Biosensor-Based Point-of-Care Solutions · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of rapid and efficient nucleic acid extraction methods for point-of-care diagnostics. The need for a thorough evaluation of nucleic acid extraction as an essential element of the entire sample-to-answer workflow. The importance of considering the impact of transport media on SARS-CoV-2 samples.

    Comparative Evaluation of Rapid Nucleic Acids Extraction Methods for Biosensor-Based Point-of-Care Solutions · 2026 · DOI

  • Most wastewater surveillance programs rely on grab sampling, which can underestimate viral presence due to temporal variability in shedding, wastewater flow, and matrix inhibition. The study does not provide information on the long-term effectiveness of the method. The study is limited to the detection of specific viruses.

    Enhanced Detection of Multiple Viruses, Including Avian Influenza Virus, in Detroit Wastewater Using 24-Hour Swab Sampling and Magnetic Bead Purification · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of the method for detecting other viruses. Studies could investigate the use of 24 h passive tampon swab sampling with automated magnetic bead-based purification for other applications. Research could focus on improving the sensitivity and reliability of wastewater surveillance methods.

    Enhanced Detection of Multiple Viruses, Including Avian Influenza Virus, in Detroit Wastewater Using 24-Hour Swab Sampling and Magnetic Bead Purification · 2026 · DOI

  • Lack of consensus on best-practice methods for wastewater pathogen surveillance. Limited interlaboratory sample and data exchanges. Variability in methods used for nucleic acid extraction, sequencing, and analysis.

    Australian and New Zealand Laboratory Experience and Proposed Future Direction of Wastewater Pathogen Genomic Surveillance · 2025 · DOI

  • Nonclinical WNV surveillance is variable, and WNV surveillance in humans is limited by the percentage of symptomatic human infections and time it takes to seek healthcare and diagnosis.

    Laboratory Assessment of Wastewater as Surveillance Tool for West Nile Virus, United States · 2026 · DOI

  • While GII RTs have proven advantageous for RNA-seq, their performance in other applications, such as reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), remains poorly studied.

    Performance of a Group II Intron Reverse Transcriptase from Anoxybacillus flavithermus in Duplex RT-LAMP for SARS-CoV-2 Detection · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research of underlying factors of observed disparities and targeted outreach are necessary for equitable care.

    Disparities in COVID-19 Testing and Infection Among Beneficiaries in the Military Health System During the First Year of the Pandemic · 2025 · DOI

  • This review provides a comprehensive overview of optical biosensor techniques for the detection of both SARS-CoV-2 and influenza, addressing a significant gap in the literature.

    A Comparative Analysis of Optical Biosensors for Rapid Detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 and Influenza · 2025 · DOI

  • Despite its widespread use in many species, an in-depth, multispecies analysis of the data comparing sVNT to VN results has not been reported.

    PSLBI-30 SARS-CoV-2 Screening and Detection: Assessment of surrogate virus neutralization test (svNT) diagnostic appropriateness in multispecies SARS-CoV-2 virus screening and detection · 2024 · DOI

  • These surveys identified a lack of standardised common procedures in WWS practices and the need for quality standards and reference materials to enhance the accuracy and reliability of WWS methods in the future.

    EU surveys insights: analytical tools, future directions, and the essential requirement for reference materials in wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2, antimicrobial resistance and beyond · 2024 · DOI

  • However, the responses highlighted a lack of standardisation in the methodologies employed for monitoring SARS-CoV-2.

    EU surveys insights: analytical tools, future directions, and the essential requirement for reference materials in wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2, antimicrobial resistance and beyond · 2024 · DOI

  • Previous comparison studies have produced conflicting results, thus more research on the subject is required.

    Comparison of Different Reverse Transcriptase–Polymerase Chain Reaction–Based Methods for Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2: Exploratory Study · 2024 · DOI

  • COVID-19 outbreaks were difficult to manage in rural and isolated areas where diagnostics were insufficient to meet needs.

    Geospatial Point-of-Care Testing Strategies for COVID-19 Resilience in Resource-Poor Settings: Rural Cambodia Field Study · 2024 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding about which type of RAT is most effective for detecting viral infections. The need for a model-driven computational framework to assess different RATs.

    Identifying the optimal rapid antigen test for screening and determining the end of isolation: A modeling study · 2026 · DOI

  • Potential biases in case-based surveillance need to be accounted for.

    Comparing Wastewater-Based and Case-Based R t Estimates of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Georgia Using Generalized Linear Mixed Models · 2026 · DOI

  • Workplace surveillance has been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but few studies have examined the feasibility or effectiveness of this approach.

    Effectiveness of Frequent Point-of-Care Molecular COVID-19 Surveillance in a Rural Workplace: Nonrandomized Controlled Clinical Trial Among Miners · 2024 · DOI

  • Translating environmental concentrations into epidemiologically meaningful quantities. Integrating wastewater concentrations with reported COVID-19 testing data. Developing a framework for performance-based harmonization in wastewater surveillance.

    Wastewater-Based Epidemiology Assessment and Surveillance: From Detection to Integrated Public Health Action · 2026 · DOI

  • Reduced clinical data due to shift from mass population screening to self-testing, - Limited to a 28-week longitudinal study, - Only two sampling approaches were employed…

    Influence of Sampling Strategies and Disease Prevalence on SARS-CoV-2 Detection Dynamics in Wastewater Surveillance · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigating other sampling strategies and their effects on detection performance, - Examining the relationship between wastewater-based surveillance and clinical genomic surveillance in more detail, - Expanding the study to other regions…

    Influence of Sampling Strategies and Disease Prevalence on SARS-CoV-2 Detection Dynamics in Wastewater Surveillance · 2026 · DOI

  • Some jurisdictions were asked to provide additional information, resulting in the survey being extended, - Not all jurisdictions provided complete responses to the survey, - The survey was limited to government-funded wastewater pathogen surveillance programs, - The survey did not include non-government-funded…

    Australian and New Zealand Laboratory Experience and Proposed Future Direction of Wastewater Pathogen Genomic Surveillance · 2025 · DOI

  • The application of the framework to other viruses and types of tests. The consideration of real-world variability in test sensitivity and sample collection when evaluating the practical use of each RAT type.

    Identifying the optimal rapid antigen test for screening and determining the end of isolation: A modeling study · 2026 · DOI

  • Currently, very limited data exist in the realm of wastewater-based viral epidemiology (WBE) for cancer-causing viruses, with existing studies using targeted approaches…

    Detection, persistence, and rising prevalence of oncogenic viruses revealed by wastewater metagenomics · 2026 · DOI

  • The complexity of wastewater samples, - The need for effective methods for nucleic acid extraction and sequencing, - The challenge of interpreting the results in the context of public…

    Longitudinal wastewater virome surveillance unveils untapped circulating viruses in the community · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing sub-topic

This page shows what the SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, search the Research Gap Finder: the search is free with a free account and lists the papers closest to your topic first. Unlocking that topic (50 credits, charged once) fills the comparison table from our 4.5M-paper local library and writes the gaps from its rows.

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) There is a need to understand the challenges encountered during COVID-19 seroprevalence surveys in Kinshasa (“Challenges and Adaptations in COVID-19 Seroprevalence Surveys: Insights from…”, 2026); (2) The lack of rapid and efficient nucleic acid extraction methods for point-of-care diagnostics (“Comparative Evaluation of Rapid Nucleic Acids Extraction Methods for…”, 2026); (3) Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of the method for detecting other viruses (“Enhanced Detection of Multiple Viruses, Including Avian Influenza Virus, in…”, 2026); (4) The lack of understanding about which type of RAT is most effective for detecting viral infections (“Identifying the optimal rapid antigen test for screening and determining the…”, 2026); (5) Lack of consensus on best-practice methods for wastewater pathogen surveillance (“Australian and New Zealand Laboratory Experience and Proposed Future Direction…”, 2025). 118 gap statements have been mined from SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 739 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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