Abstract
The high infectivity and pathogenicity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have caused the COVID-19 outbreak, one of the most devastating pandemics in more than a century. This pandemic has already left a trail of destruction, including enormous loss of life, a global economic slump, and widespread psychological damage. Despite assiduous world-wide endeavors, an effective cure for COVID-19 is still lacking. Surprisingly, infected neonates and children have relatively mild clinical manifestations and a much lower fatality rate than elderly adults. Recent studies have unambiguously demonstrated the vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from infected pregnant women to fetuses, which creates yet another challenge for disease prevention. In this review, we will summarize the molecular mechanism for entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells, the basis for the failure of the lungs and other organs in severe acute cases, and the evidence for congenital transmission.
Highlights
COVID-19 was first discovered in December 2019 inWuhan, China and rapidly spread throughout the world
The SARS-CoV-2 genome, which comprises 29.9 kb, is coated with nucleocapsid (N) protein and enclosed in a lipid bilayer embedded with three membrane structural proteins, spike (S), envelope (E), and membrane (M)
After the viral genome is released into the host cell, it is transcribed and translated to yield polyproteins that are further processed into 16 non-structural proteins (Nsps)
Summary
COVID-19 was first discovered in December 2019 inWuhan, China and rapidly spread throughout the world. The high infectivity and pathogenicity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have caused the COVID-19 outbreak, one of the most devastating pandemics in more than a century. We will summarize the molecular mechanism for entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells, the basis for the failure of the lungs and other organs in severe acute cases, and the evidence for congenital transmission.
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