Harnessing aptamers against COVID-19: A therapeutic strategy

•The novel coronavirus crisis caused by SARS-CoV-2 affected the world as a global pandemic.•Aptamers are single-stranded RNA or DNA oligonucleotides or peptide molecules capable of folding into unique three-dimensional structures with robust binding affinity to a wide variety of targets following structural recognition.•Aptamer-based theranostics have proven excellent capability in diagnosing and treating various viral infections.•Herein, we provide a comprehensive review on the current status and future perspective of aptamers’ potential for COVID-19 therapy. The novel coronavirus crisis caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was a global pandemic. Although various therapeutic approaches were developed over the past 2 years, novel strategies with more efficient applicability are required to target new variants. Aptamers are single-stranded (ss)RNA or DNA oligonucleotides capable of folding into unique 3D structures with robust binding affinity to a wide variety of targets following structural recognition. Aptamer-based theranostics have proven excellent capability for diagnosing and treating various viral infections. Herein, we review the current status and future perspective of the potential of aptamers as COVID-19 therapies.