by Rama S Verma and Steffi SV
Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, 600036, India.
Corresponding e-mail: vermars@iitm.ac.in
INTRODUCTION:
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2, a novel coronavirus from the same family as SARS‐CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, has spread worldwide leading the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic. The disease caused by SARS‐CoV‐2, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), presents flu‐like and respiratory symptoms The outbreak was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January, and a pandemic on 11 March. As of June 12, 2020, more than 7.273 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in 187 countries and territories, resulting in more than 413,372 deaths. More than 3.09 million people have recovered and categorized in a high‐risk disease. Human‐to‐human aerosol transmission is undoubtedly the main source of contagion, which happens mainly through contaminated droplets, hands or surfaces. Virus particles, which are present in secretions from an infected person’s respiratory system, infect others through direct contact with mucous membranes with a median incubation period of between 2 and 12 days (median 5.1 days) (1).
REFERENCES:
1.Yan-Rong Guo et al (2020 The Origin, Transmission and Clinical Therapies on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak – An Update on the Status Mill Med Res Mar 13;7(1):11doi: 10.1186/s40779-020-00240-0.
2.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronavirus
3. https://www.healthline.com/health/coronavirus-types#summary
4.https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/493530-french-researchers-high-temperatures-ineffective-against-coronavirus
5.https://weather.com/en-IN/india/coronavirus/news/2020-04-24-sunlight-humidity-damages-novel-coronavirus-says-the-white-house
6.https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/extreme-heat-cold-kill coronavirus_l_5e95f1cac5b6044bb74eb6c4?guccounter=1
7.Yu Chen, Qianyun Liu, Deyin Guo (2020) Emerging coronaviruses: Genome structure, replication, and pathogenesis J Med Virol. 92:418–423. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jmv.2568
8. L.Enjuaneset al (2016) Molecular Basis of Coronavirus Virulence and Vaccine DevelopmentAdvances in Virus Research96, 245-286
9.https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/hotter-humid-weather-may-not-halt-spread-of-covid-19-study-835017.html
10.https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3079831/coronavirus-can-survive-long-exposure-high-temperature-threat
11.https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/coronavirus-in-india-10-ways-to-make-sure-you-dont-catch-the-disease/articleshow/74488435.cms?from=mdr
12. Muhammad Adnan Shereen (2020) COVID-19 infection: Origin, transmission, and characteristics of human coronaviruses Journal of Advanced Research 24, 91-98
13. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
14. Peng Zhou, et al (2020) A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin Nature 579, 270–273
15. Chun Li et al (2020) Genetic Evolution Analysis of 2019 Novel Coronavirus and Coronavirus From Other Species DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104285
16.TungPhan A (2020) Genetic diversity and evolution of SARS-CoV-2Infection, Genetics and Evolution81, 104260
