Most Current Microbial Terror to Humanity - A Review

Abstract

Current, on-going microbial terror to humanity needs public enlightenment. Unknown to most people, it is the18th such terror in recorded human history. First noticed in Wuhan (China) in early December 2019 as atypical pneumonia reported in a cluster of patients, and later discovered to be caused by a new coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, best known by WHO’s terminology, COVID-19. Routes of transmission are droplets, aerosols and fomites, close face-to-face contacts, and spread by asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic and symptomatic carriers. Symptoms and signs are typically an influenza-like syndrome: rigours, fatigue, high-fever, dry-cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, myalgia, headache, weakness, less commonly, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Complications include pneumonia, acute respiratory disease syndromes necessitating supplemental oxygen, acute liver, kidney, and cardiac injuries, that necessitates intensive-care units. Diagnosis is by detection of SARS-CoV-2 via reverse transcription PCR testing. Clinical management involves providing supportive care to relief aforementioned symptoms, supporting vital organ functions, treating secondary bacterial infections, and managing critically ill-patients in ICUs. Socio-economic effects include forced restrictions, quarantine, testing, vaccination and travel bans; globally as of October 01, 2021: economy shrunk by 3.5 per cent, with monumental financial loss of over $21, 000,000,000,000; world total infected individuals = 234,707,794; confirmed death = 4,800,466; recovered cases = 211,514,975; day new cases = 146, 944; day new deaths = +3,036. USA, India, Brazil, UK. Russia, Turkey and France topped the list of casualties in that order; Nigeria is 98th in the list; daily details obtainable from: www.worldometers.info/coronavirus.. Succor is that about 270 vaccines are presently in production; six are in use.