Diagnosis: Future Prospects on Direct Diagnosis

During the past three decades, due to the development of new technologies that allow faster and more accurate virological diagnoses, clinical virology laboratory has taken on an important role in the patient’s clinical management. Besides, it is now possible to define, more quickly and precisely than before, viral gene sequences related to specific viral variants (including drug-resistant strains) or to viral and host factors that can affect the natural history of infections. All together these achievements lead to early and accurate diagnosis, personalized therapy, better clinical outcome, reduction of unnecessary drugs, and hospitalization. This article provides an overview of the diagnostic methods that have been used, and will be used in the future, in the routine of virological clinical laboratories and explains their possible future applications.