Covid-19 Pandemic-Insights and Challenges

Abstract

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak affected a large number of deaths with millions of confirmed cases worldwide. Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is associated with respiratory illness that lead to severe pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Although related to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Covid-19 shows some unique pathogenetic, epidemiological and clinical features. On the basis of the phylogenetic relationship as well as genomic structures, the Covid-19 belongs to genera Betacoronavirus. Human Betacoronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV) have shared similarities, yet differences also in their genomic and phenotypic level that influence the pathogenesis. To gain knowledge regarding the pathophysiology and virulence of the Covid-19 virus, it is absolutely necessary to understand its genetic makeup, transmission, virulence factors, risk factors, diagnosis, clinical presentations, outcome predictions, management of risk factors and ways to control the disease thus providing an insight to the current or future treatment and management protocols. To provide a review of the differences in pathogenesis, epidemiology and clinical features of Covid-19, its transmission and replication dynamics, genome organization, current clinical trials and vaccine development strategies, Immunoinformatics, diagnostics and ways to control the pandemic, inorder to raise an increasing awareness, both to the public and for scientific perspectives.