1. Direct fluorescent antibody staining of cells from a herpes simplex lesion can detect fluorescent infected cells under a fluorescence microscope, providing a more sensitive and specific method of diagnosis than a Tzanck prep.
2. Enzyme immunoassays are often used to detect non-culturable viruses like rotavirus, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus from nasal/NP swabs at the point-of-care.
3. Molecular amplification tests exceed the sensitivity of viral culture and are the gold standard for diagnosing many respiratory viruses, herpes simplex from CSF, and enterovirus detection.