Covid-19’s rampage in the human body

Abstract

The Covid-19 (or Coronavirus Disease-19) was first detected in Wuhan, in the Hubei Province of China. Its causative agent got named as SARS-CoV-2 (or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus- 2) in 11 February, 2020 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). This virus is observed to infect the respiratory system in most patients. In this review, the aim was to discuss the potential of SARS-CoV-2 of affecting almost all the major organ systems of the body and to highlight the importance of interaction between spike glycoprotein of the virus and ACE2 receptor on a host cell. An analysis was made on the gfindings of the different kinds of manifestations of Covid-19 and 42 resources, including: scientific articles and websites, were used for writing this review. The resources were searched on the internet based on a set of keywords. In this review, first the pathophysiology and manifestations of the virus, based on target organ, are discussed. Later, the underlying mechanisms of infection for these organs are compared and a conclusion is drawn. Finally, few of the research works in progress were listed, which help highlight the importance of spike-ACE2 interactions. The result found was that: SARS-CoV-2 is capable of severely affecting: Central nervous system, Respiratory System, Skin, Eyes, Excretory system, Gastrointestinal system, Liver, Circulatory system and Reproductive system. The common mechanism of cellular entry of the virus has been observed to be: Interaction between spike glycoprotein with the ACE-2 receptor. While, many groups are currently conducting research based on this topic, hardly a hand few drugs have been approved for use. Thus, the conclusion is that: research should be focused on developing an approved, potent drug or therapy to inhibit the spike glycoprotein-ACE2 receptor interaction in order to tackle the raging pandemic.