Mujtaba A. Bhat, Safikur Rahman, Irfan A. Rather, Mohammad I. Banday, Shafia Syed, Hamira Koser, Mohammad A. Kamal, Rinki Minakshi* and Arif T. Jan* Pages 3435 - 3443 ( 9 )
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the coronavirus disease- 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which was first reported from Wuhan, China, in late 2019. This infection spread to thousands of people globally within a short span of time with a progressive trend to mortality of citizens. Posing a potential public health threat, SARS-CoV-2 progressed from animal-to-human to human-tohuman transmission with symptoms ranging from little or no illness to persons being severely ill and many deaths, confirming two criteria for declaring COVID-19 a pandemic. The disease shows a progressive trend in symptomology, ranging from mild to severe pneumoniae to respiratory and multi-visceral failure that often leads to the death of patients with comorbidity within a short span of time. Intensive research efforts on different aspects of this human pathogen are underway across the globe for elucidating viral transmission routes and the mechanisms employed to overcome host defense responses. Due to the massive infective potential, studies are being carried out to develop effective diagnostics and therapeutic interventions, including re-purposing antivirals and other potential inhibitors. Herein, we describe the taxonomic classification of 'SARS-CoV-2', the structural organization of its genome, its infectivity, transmission, and receptor interaction; and we summarize risk assessment and approaches used for prevention of the infection. Finally, we discuss important aspects of the development of diagnostic tools and therapeutic countermeasures that have the potential to help in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bats, coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic, pneumoniae, SARS CoV-2.
School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, Munshi Singh College, BR Ambedkar Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University (KAU) P.O. Box-80141, Jeddah 21589, Department of Microbiology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, Department of Microbiology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, Department of Microbiology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80216, Jeddah 21589, Department of Microbiology, Swami Shraddhanand College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110036, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri