The end of 2019 marked the beginning of a pandemic that shook of the whole world. This newly emerged viral agent was quickly identified with the help of molecular techniques and classified as a novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2. In the first part of this article, the general virological features and pathogenesis of this viral agent, which caused many deaths at the beginning and changed in the pathogenesis with different variants over time, were discussed. In the second part of the article, information is given about the diagnostic tests applied in pandemic conditions.
Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, pathogenesis, molecular tests, serological tests