COVID-19: Current information and anesthesia

Abstract

The recent outbreak of respiratory illness, first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, is caused by a newly detected coronavirus named "2019-nCoV. In this article, the features of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment methods are explained with the literature [1-4]. Coronaviruses (CoV) are a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Coronaviruses are enveloped RNA viruses with a single chain and positive polarity. They do not contain RNA-dependent RNA polymerase enzymes because they have positive polarity, but they encode this enzyme in their genome. Subtypes of coronaviruses circulating in humans (HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63 and HKU1-CoV) are mostly viruses that cause common colds [1-4]. On 31 December 2019, the WHO China Country Office reported cases of pneumonia with unknown etiology detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. On 7 January 2020, the agent was identified as a new coronavirus type (2019-nCoV) that has not previously been detected in humans. Later, the name of 2019-nCoV disease was accepted as COVID-19. The origin of COVID-19s is still under investigation. While wild animals illegally sold in the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market are considered as the starting point of the outbreak, contamination from person to person and in health centers has been reported. The disease is thought to be transmitted through droplets. Clinical pictures are newly defined. Since the number of cases in the publications is limited and the cases are different from each other, the mean incubation period may be different. According to scientific articles published so far, the incubation period accepted is 2-14 days. Common symptoms of infection are respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, and dyspnea. In more severe cases, pneumonia, severe acute respiratory infection, kidney failure, and even death may occur. Nucleic acid amplification tests to be used in diagnosis and COVID-19 sequence information have been recently shared and molecular (PCR) tests have been designed. Sequence data is essential to understand the origin of the virus and how it spreads. Since the excretion and infectious time of the virus are unknown, for now, it is recommended to continue isolation measures during the patient's stay at the healthcare facility. Taking standard and droplet isolation measures has come to the fore in cases suspected of COVID-19. Individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 should be followed and treated in multidisciplinary hospitals that can provide mechanical ventilatory support. Treatment is supportive and aims at preventing secondary infections and complications since there is no specific antiviral treatment for COVID-19 and its pathogenesis is not fully known. In new reports, remdesivir, chloroquine phosphate is recommended in COVID-19 pneumonias. Supplemental oxygen therapy for patients with respiratory distress, hypoxemia, and shock, careful administration of fluid the...