Raman spectroscopy: a useful tool in the fight against COVID-19

RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY is a vibrational spectroscopy technique that has many applications in the pharmaceutical industry. It is used to detect vibrational, rotational and other states in a molecular system and can be used to probe the chemical composition of materials. Variations of the technique – for example, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) or tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) – offer further insights for low concentration or trace analysis. Since the first reported case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in December 2019, researchers around the world have worked tirelessly to understand the virus. Several groups have been using Raman to assist in this global effort, applying it to enhance environmental detection, speed up testing and to explore a saliva fingerprint for those infected with COVID-19. Here, we explore these studies in more detail.