Abstract

AN OVERVIEW OF PANDEMIC COVID-19 AND ITS INVESTIGATIONAL POTENTIAL TREATMENTS

Avinash S. Poojari*, Bushra R. A. Khalfay, Manisha Jagdishkumar and Ramesh S. Raskonda

Abstract

In the late December 2019, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province city, has spread throughout China resulting in a formidable worldwide outbreak and was recognized as a pandemic by the WHO (World Health Organization). On February 11, 2020, WHO has officially named the disease as Coronavirus Disease – 2019. This contagious disease is also known as 2019-nCoV or SARSCoV- 19 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) as this virus is known to cause severe pneumonia, a respiratory infection. It has been classified under the zoonotic diseases as some coronaviruses that are found in animals have the potential to infect both animals and humans. Person to person transmission may occur through air droplets expelled when an infected individual coughs or sneezes within a range of about 6 feet (1.8 cm) or also through contact transmission. If proper preventive measures are not followed, then this could be a serious threat for an individual and society. As such no specific treatments has been yet approved for novel coronavirus. Although some available drugs have been promising against the novel coronavirus but still it is under investigation and could be a possible alternative for the treatment of the COVID-19. This review article focuses on novel corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) infection along with its investigational potential treatments.

Keywords: Coronavirus, respiratory infection, antivirals, treatment.