Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a clinical update

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has posed a significant threat to global health. It caused a total of 80 868 confirmed cases and 3101 deaths in Chinese mainland until March 8, 2020. This novel virus spread mainly through respiratory droplets and close contact. As disease progressed, a series of complications tend to develop, especially in critically ill patients. Pathological findings showed representative features of acute respiratory distress syndrome and involvement of multiple organs. Apart from supportive care, no specific treatment has been established for COVID-19. The efficacy of some promising antivirals, convalescent plasma transfusion, and tocilizumab needs to be investigated by ongoing clinical trials.

Keywords

coronavirus disease 2019 / epidemiology / pathology / radiology / clinical characteristics / treatment

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded in part by a grant from innovative research team of high-level local universities in Shanghai.

Compliance with ethic guidelines

Min Zhou, Xinxin Zhang, and Jieming Qu declare that they have no conflict of interest. This manuscript is a review article that does not involve a research protocol requiring approval by the relevant institutional review board or ethics committee.

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