Articles: sars-cov-2.
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Pol. Arch. Med. Wewn. · Jan 2020
ReviewMolecular epidemiology of SARS CoV-2: a review of current data on genetic variability of the virus.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19), is a novel pathogen recently introduced to the human population. It is characterized by rapid epidemic transmissions due to lack of herd immunity as well as by notable mortality which increases with age and in patients with comorbidities. Outbreak forecasting and modelling suggest that the number of infected people will continue to rise globally in the forthcoming months. ⋯ It is unknown if this difference is associated with a higher virulence of viral strains, differences in host genomics, access to medical resources, or other unknown variables. Little is also known about SARS‑CoV‑2 evolutionary and transmission patterns as a limited number of large‑scale sequence and phylogenetic analyses have been performed so far. In this review, we aimed to provide concise data on the SARS‑CoV‑2 genomics, molecular evolution, and variability with special consideration of the disease course.
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Curr Cancer Drug Targets · Jan 2020
ReviewCOVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences in China and Implications for its Prevention and Treatment Worldwide.
The outbreak of COVID-19 due to SARS-CoV-2 originally emerged in Wuhan in December 2019. As of March 22, 2020, the disease spread to 186 countries, with at least 305,275 confirmed cases. ⋯ In this article, we systematically review the brief history of COVID-19 and its epidemic and clinical characteristics, highlighting the strategies used to control and prevent the disease in China, which may help other countries respond to the outbreak. This pandemic emphasizes the need to be constantly alert to shifts in both the global dynamics and the contexts of individual countries, making sure that all are aware of which approaches are successful for the prevention, containment and treatment of new diseases, and being flexible enough to adapt the responses accordingly.
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Frontiers in medicine · Jan 2020
ReviewPulmonary and Extra-Pulmonary Clinical Manifestations of COVID-19.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been recently identified as the culprit of the highly infectious, outbreak named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China. Now declared a public health emergency, this pandemic is present in more than 200 countries with over 14 million cases and 600,000 deaths as of July 18, 2020. Primarily transmitted through the respiratory tract, the most common clinical presentations of symptomatic individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 include fever, dyspnea, cough, fatigue, and sore throat. ⋯ While it is known that COVID-19 manifests similarly to the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the 2012 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), primarily affecting the pulmonary system, the impact of the disease extends far beyond the respiratory system and affects other organs of the body. The literature regarding the extrapulmonary manifestations (cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, gastrointestinal, ocular, dermatologic, and neurological) of COVID-19 is scant. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of the organ-specific clinical manifestations of COVID-19, to increase awareness about the various organs affected by SARS-CoV-2 and to provide a brief insight into the similarities and differences in the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 and the earlier SARS and MERS.
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Background: The recent COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe has caused great concern worldwide. Due to the limited evidence available on the dynamics of the virus and effective treatment options available, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has had a huge impact in terms of morbidity and mortality. The economic impact is still to be assessed. ⋯ Unfortunately, no vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 or effective drug regimen for COVID-19 currently exists. Drug repurposing of available antiviral agents may provide a respite; moreover, a cocktail of antiviral agents may be helpful in treating this disease. Here, we have highlighted a few available antimicrobial agents that could be very effective in treating COVID-19; indeed, a number of trials are underway to detect and confirm the efficacy of these agents.
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The Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is one of the most devastating in this century. It originated in China in December 2019 caused by the SARS-Cov-2 virus, and in less than a month it had been classified as an "International Public Health Emergency". To date there are nearly 3 million people infected and more than 250,000 deaths caused by the disease worldwide. ⋯ Of the confirmed cases, 15% are healthcare workers. There is no specific treatment or vaccine yet, so it is important to have hygiene, social isolation and personal protection measures. Health, social and economic consequences could have great impact in the near future.