Spectacular success of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines just a glimpse of their full potential

The 'spectacular' success of mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccine technology against SARS-CoV-2 provides 'just a glimpse of their full potential', according to the authors of a Perspective published by the Medical Journal of Australia today. Asymptomatic individuals constitute 16–38% of the SARS-CoV-2 infected population which increases the difficulty of identifying infected individuals. The lack of convenient and sensitive tests to detect the virus in all individuals is continuing to limit global response to the pandemic. Predominantly, SARS-CoV-2 is detected through RT-PCR (real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) on swab samples collected from the nose and throat. However, these tests require long detection times, high costs, specialized equipment and medical personnel, and are not feasible in areas where resources are limited.