SARS-Cov-2: Epidemiological characteristics, clinical characteristics, diagnosis and prevention: A review of current knowledge

Abstract

The SARS-Cov-2 disease appeared in December 2019, when the new coronavirus was confirmed to be the cause of the disease. The objective of this article is to summarize previous research on the epidemiological characteristics, etiology, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, prevention, and control of the new SARS-Cov-2 infection. The SARS-Cov-2 virus belongs to the group of betacoronaviruses, which are single-stranded RNA viruses. The envelope has a crucial role in the pathogenicity of the virus. A viral infection can cause an excessive immune response in the patient, which is labeled as a "cytokine storm," and whose effect is extensive tissue damage. Three main routes of the transmission of the virus are: droplets, direct contact, aerosol. The incubation period is considered to be 1-14 days. The clinical manifestation ranges from asymptomatic, mild, to severe, and some cases end in death. The main clinical manifestations include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Nasal congestion, a runny nose, a sore throat, headache, myalgia, diarrhea, loss of the sense of taste and/or smell have also been reported. The diagnostic procedures are the following: clinical manifestation, chest X-rays, biochemical analyses, epidemiological anamnesis. A positive nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab (Ag test, and/or reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)) is used for etiological diagnosis. The SARS-Cov-2 infection has affected a large number of people and countries around the world. The application of preventive measures, early identification of infected persons, their isolation , and vaccination are currently the most effective mode in the battle against this virus. After the conclusion of the pandemic, it will be possible to estimate the health, social and economic impact of the virus.