The current COVID-19 pandemic and other recent outbreaks such as Ebola, MERS, SARS and H1N1 have underscored the need for early detection and continued surveillance of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. The heterogeneity of disease in COVID-19 – a large number of mild or asymptomatic cases coupled with the relatively rapid degradation in symptoms in some patients – poses a unique challenge for the healthcare system and emphasizes the need for developing predictive biomarkers of disease severity. We are harnessing microscale & nanoscale technology to solve these challenges by developing devices for high-throughput discovery and inexpensive electronic detection of diagnostic & prognostic biomarkers. Here, I will present our progress with these approaches in the context of COVID-19 and beyond.