Objectives: To describe instrumental techniques and explain their applicability in the detection of COVID-19 infection. Material and methods: The procedure for performing the RT-qPCR reaction from RNA isolation to detection is described, as well as the RT-LAMP method. Appropriate material required for RT-qPCR and RT-LAMP procedures are also described. Results: The fluorescence intensity of the PCR amplicon is represented by an electropherogram showing the number of reaction cycles on the abscissa and fluorescence intensity on the ordinate. The Ct value is inversely proportional to the amount of virus in the measured sample. For the RT-LAMP method, a positive, negative or invalid result will be displayed on the device screen. Conclusion: RT-qPCR is the gold standard in the detection of COVID-19 infections due to its high precision and sensitivity. RT-LAMP will be used more in the near future due to its speed of detection and ease of use. Sequencing is the key to identifying the different subtypes of SARS-CoV-2.