Abstract
SUMMARYIn recent decades, several new diseases have emerged in different geographical areas, with pathogens including Ebola virus, Zika virus, Nipah virus, and coronaviruses (CoVs). Recently, a new type of viral infection emerged in Wuhan City, China, and initial genomic sequencing data of this virus do not match with previously sequenced CoVs, suggesting a novel CoV strain (2019-nCoV), which has now been termed severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is suspected to originate from an animal host (zoonotic origin) followed by human-to-human transmission, the possibility of other routes should not be ruled out. Compared to diseases caused by previously known human CoVs, COVID-19 shows less severe pathogenesis but higher transmission competence, as is evident from the continuously increasing number of confirmed cases globally. Compared to other emerging viruses, such as Ebola virus, avian H7N9, SARS-CoV, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), SARS-CoV-2 has shown relatively low pathogenicity and moderate transmissibility. Codon usage studies suggest that this novel virus has been transferred from an animal source, such as bats. Early diagnosis by real-time PCR and next-generation sequencing has facilitated the identification of the pathogen at an early stage. Since no antiviral drug or vaccine exists to treat or prevent SARS-CoV-2, potential therapeutic strategies that are currently being evaluated predominantly stem from previous experience with treating SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and other emerging viral diseases. In this review, we address epidemiological, diagnostic, clinical, and therapeutic aspects, including perspectives of vaccines and preventive measures that have already been globally recommended to counter this pandemic virus.
Highlights
Over the past 2 decades, coronaviruses (CoVs) have been associated with significant disease outbreaks in East Asia and the Middle East
CoVs belong to the family Coronaviridae, the members of which infect a broad range of hosts, producing symptoms and diseases ranging from the common cold to severe and fatal illnesses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and, presently, COVID-19
The subsequent virological, radiological, and pathological observations indicated that the monkeys with reexposure had no recurrence of COVID19, like the SARS-CoV-2-infected monkeys without rechallenge. These findings suggest that primary infection with SARS-CoV-2 could protect from later exposures to the virus, which could help in defining disease prognosis and crucial inferences for designing and developing potent vaccines against COVID-19 [274]
Summary
Kuldeep Dhama,a Sharun Khan,b Ruchi Tiwari,c Shubhankar Sircar,d Sudipta Bhat,d Yashpal Singh Malik,d Karam Pal Singh,a Wanpen Chaicumpa,e D. SUMMARY In recent decades, several new diseases have emerged in different geographical areas, with pathogens including Ebola virus, Zika virus, Nipah virus, and coronaviruses (CoVs). A new type of viral infection emerged in Wuhan City, China, and initial genomic sequencing data of this virus do not match with previously sequenced CoVs, suggesting a novel CoV strain (2019-nCoV), which has been termed severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is suspected to originate from an animal host (zoonotic origin) followed by human-to-human transmission, the possibility of other routes should not be ruled out. Compared to diseases caused by previously known
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