Title:Covid-19: An Update on Clinical Features, Diagnosis, and Treatment Strategies
Volume: 2
Issue: 12
Author(s): Manan Abdulrahman Alhkbany*
Affiliation:
- 1Department of Physiology, King Saud University, Riyadh,Saudi Arabia
Keywords:
Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome, pathogenesis, therapy, vaccines.
Abstract: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) has emerged as a new public health crisis,
with the WHO officially declaring it as a pandemic on 30 January 2020. In December 2019, the
virus was reported to be transmitted to humans through an unknown intermediary animal in
Wuhan, Hubei province, China. As of 18 May 2020, there were 4,730,968 reported cases of
Covid-19, with 315,488 deaths. Direct contact among individuals is the most common transmission
method, primarily through droplets released during coughing or sneezing. The incubation period of
the virus oscillates between 2 to 14 days. The commonly reported symptoms include fatigue, sore
throat, cough, and fever. Most of the people are asymptomatic or show mild symptoms. The elderly
and people with comorbidities show severe symptoms. The disease is diagnosed by using the real-
time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing method. A blood test is
also used to detect the antibodies to the virus, which are usually released after infection. The typical
laboratory findings indicate elevated C-reactive proteins (CRP) with normal or low white blood
cell counts; the chest CT scan demonstrates ground-glass opacities (GGO) and bilateral pneumonia
in most patients. Supportive treatment is available, and research on the right treatment using existing
drugs is ongoing. Several pharmaceutical companies and research institutions are focusing on
the development of a vaccine. The review summarizes and provides an update on the pathogenesis,
diagnosis, and treatment strategies in the management of Covid-19.
