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Review
. 2020 Mar 24;12(3):e7386.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.7386.

Brief Review on COVID-19: The 2020 Pandemic Caused by SARS-CoV-2

Damian N Valencia  1
Affiliations
Review

Brief Review on COVID-19: The 2020 Pandemic Caused by SARS-CoV-2

Damian N Valencia. Cureus. .

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). First identified in Wuhan (Hubei, China) in December of 2019, it has since been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March of 2020. In this study, we will provide a brief review of viral origin, identification, symptoms, transmission, diagnosis, and potential treatment strategies for the newly identified SARS-CoV-2 strain.

Keywords: 2019-ncov; acei; arb; chloroquine; corona virus; corticosteroids; covid-19; novel coronavirus; remdesivir; sars-cov-2.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. SARS-CoV
Electron microscopy image of SARS-CoV, with the arrow pointing at a single virion. Photo credit to Dr. Fred Murphy. This media comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Public Health Image Library (PHIL), identification number 4814 (https://phil.cdc.gov/Details.aspx?pid=15523). SARS-CoV, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
Figure 2
Figure 2. Genomes and structures for SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV
The image shows the key SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV virion components, along with their genome sequencing. Photo credit to Zumla et al. [9]. SARS-CoV, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus; MERS-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
Figure 3
Figure 3. Replication cycle of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV
This image details the replication cycle of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Photo credit to Zumla et al. [12].
Figure 4
Figure 4. Electron microscopy image of SARS-CoV-2 virions
Electron microscopy image of SARS-CoV-2, with the arrow pointing at a single virion. Photo credit to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML), United States National Institutes of Health (NIH). SARS-CoV, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
Figure 5
Figure 5. CT of the chest in a COVID-19 patient
Axial CT of the chest showing GGO and bilateral posterior opacities with a paving pattern. Photo courtesy of Salehi et al [35]. CT, computed tomography; COVID-19, coronavirus disease of 2019; GGO, ground-glass opacities
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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