SARS-CoV-2 and the pandemic of COVID-19

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that is the cause of a serious life-threatening disease known as COVID-19. It was first noted to have occurred in Wuhan, China in November 2019 and the WHO reported the first case on December 31, 2019. The outbreak was declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020 and by May 30, 2020, a total of 5 899 866 positive cases were registered including 364 891 deaths. SARS-CoV-2 primarily targets the lung and enters the body through ACE2 receptors. Typical symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath and fatigue, yet some atypical symptoms like loss of smell and taste have also been described. 20% require hospital admission due to severe disease, a third of whom need intensive support. Treatment is primarily supportive, however, prognosis is dismal in those who need invasive ventilation. Trials are ongoing to discover effective vaccines and drugs to combat the disease. Preventive strategies aim at reducing the transmission of disease by contact tracing, washing of hands, use of face masks and government-led lockdown of unnecessary activities to reduce the risk of transmission.

Healthcare Professionals’ Role in Social Media Public Health Campaigns: Analysis of Spanish Pro Vaccination Campaign on Twitter

“…COVID-19 disease, which started in Wuhan, China, with the first case reported on December 2019 and continuing today, was defined by World Health Organization (WHO) as an international outbreak of a public health emergency and declared as a pandemic on 11 March 2020 [1]. This disease has a number of characteristics that have facilitated its rapid spread, such as the long incubation period [2] and the high number of asymptomatic carriers [3].…”

Managing children with brain tumors during the COVID-19 era: Don’t stop the care!

“…In December 2019, the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) caused by a novel zoonotic coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) emerged from Wuhan, China and rapidly escalated into a global pandemic. Presently, Europe and the USA have become the epicenter of the pandemic, with many countries (e.g., Italy, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom) having imposed lockdowns to limit social contact and contain the outbreak [1] , [2] .…”

An unusual and atypical presentation of the novel coronavirus: A case report and brief review of the literature

“…Anosmia and loss of taste are atypical symptoms that have been reported in some cases. 3 Patients may present with unusual or atypical clinical features that are not related to the respiratory system, which may mislead the diagnosis of COVID-19. 4 COVID-19 can present with or be complicated by several extrapulmonary manifestations like thrombosis, myocardial problems, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), acute renal injury, hepatocellular injury, gastrointestinal symptoms and signs, elevated blood sugar problems, neurological manifestations, ocular symptoms and signs, and dermatological features.…”