Epidemiology, genome, and clinical features of the pandemic SARS-CoV-2: a recent view

Abstract

Since the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Wuhan, China, the number of globally confirmed cases according to World Health Organization statistics reached 292 124 in 189 countries by 22 March 2020. The number of deaths reached 12 784, with estimated case-fatality rates ranging from 0.5% to 5.7%. Children population seems to be the least affected by the disease, while the highest rate of death is among the elderly and people with comorbidities. Most infected individuals are asymptomatic or only exhibit mild symptoms. After the incubation period, the most common symptoms are fever, cough and fatigue.Asymptomatic carrier state is of paramount importance because of carriers' ability to spread the infection and to shed the virus into the air and surroundings. Although much is still unknown about SARS-CoV-2, the scientific research is moving at an unprecedented pace towards understanding the nature, effective control, prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Various reports have suggested an in vivo evolution of the virus, which may explain the rapid spread and changing epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2, but further evidence is needed.Unfortunately, no effective treatment or therapeutic drug is available for the disease; only supportive treatment and classical intervention measures are available for confronting the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

One month of the novel coronavirus 2019 outbreak: Is it still a threat?

“…1c) because China was started to report new cases on the basis of clinical and laboratory confirmation. According to CCDC (China Center for Disease Control) 22,888 patients were recovered and discharged but currently, 628,517 close contacts have been followedup with, and 106,089 are still under medical observation till February 24, 2020 [1]. By February 11, 2020 in 422 medical facilities serving COVID-19 patients, a total of 3019 health workers have been infected (1716 confirmed cases), and 5 have died [16].…”

“…& Apu Chowdhury dr.apu05@gmail.com1 School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China…”

Mass Spectrometry and Structural Biology Techniques in the Studies on the Coronavirus-Receptor Interaction

“…The illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been officially named Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the WHO [ 24 , 25 ]. The number of COVID-19 cases has been rising dramatically all over the world, especially in the United States, with the highest rates of death among the elderly and people with comorbidities [ 26 ]. The reason for its high infectivity can be found in the unique features of its structural proteins [ 27 ] and the capacity of SARS-CoV-2 to be transmitted by asymptomatic people [ 28 , 29 ].…”

The first report of the most important sequential differences between COVID-19 and MERS viruses by attribute weighting models, the importance of Nucleocapsid (N) protein

“…As a large group of viruses with large peplomers that make it look like a crown, they are common among many animals, coronaviruses can cause respiratory illnesses in humans and gastrointestinal illnesses in animals. Before SARS-CoV epidemy in 2003, this virus family was not considered a deadly virus in human and just caused mild symptoms in immunocompetent people with a chance of the lower respiratory illness like pneumonia and bronchitis; but after 2003 the rst and second pandemics of the 21st century; the SARS-CoV and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) reported from China and Saudi Arabi, respectively [20][21][22]. MERS-CoV with a high fatality rate of 34.4% con rmed to infect approximately 2500 cases including 861 deaths [23].…”