World Health Organization Declared a Pandemic Public Health Menace: A Systematic Review of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 “COVID-19”

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious disease, occurs after infecting a human with severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) of the Coronaviridae family in the Nidovirales order. The origin of SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus; the disease evolved as a pandemic public health emergency due to a large spread within most countries, compared to previous coronavirus outbreaks. SARS-CoV-2 mainly infects the upper respiratory tract of the COVID-19 infected patients, causing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Currently, opinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) combination, anti-HIV drug nelfinavir, and chloroquine have been recommended as a treatment protocol for COVID-19 infected patients until a vaccine for COVID-19 is available. Despite the rigorous international control and quarantine efforts, the incidence of COVID-19 cases remains to increase. In response to this pandemic, the existing state of information concerning COVID-19 was summarized in this review.

Keywords: COVID-19, Quarantine, Pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, World Health Organization

JEL Classification: I1