  One of the most important processes in the fight against current and future
pandemics is the rapid diagnosis and initiation of treatment of viruses in
humans. In these times, the development of high-sensitivity tests and
diagnostic kits is an important research area. Plasmonic platforms, which
control light in subwavelength volumes, have opened up exciting prospects for
biosensing applications. Their significant sensitivity and selectivity allow
for the non-invasive and rapid detection of viruses. In particular,
plasmonic-assisted virus detection platforms can be achieved by various
approaches, including propagating surface and localized plasmon resonances, as
well as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. In this review, we discuss both
the fundamental principles governing a plasmonic biosensor and prospects for
achieving improved sensor performance. We highlight several nanostructure
schemes to combat virus-related diseases. We also examine technological
limitations and challenges of plasmonic-based biosensing, such as reducing the
overall cost and handling of complex biological samples. Finally, we provide a
future prospective for opportunities to improve plasmonic-based approaches to
increase their impact on global health issues.
