Chapter 4 - COVID-19

ABSTRACT

In late December 2019, a new, highly pathogenic human coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China. Due to its similarity with SARS-CoV, it was named SARS-CoV-2, and the disease that it causes was designated COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 rapidly spread throughout the world and was designed as a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. As of mid-January 2022, infection with SARS-CoV-2 resulted in 328,532,929 cases and 5,542,359 deaths worldwide. COVID-19 causes respiratory diseases, including pneumonia, but also affects many other organ systems, including the nervous, cardiovascular, immune, endocrine, digestive, urinary, integumentary, and reproductive systems. This chapter also describes the effects of COVID-19 on coagulation and the special senses (smell, taste, and vision) as well as Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, and Long COVID Syndrome. Potential animal reservoir hosts, such as bats, and potential intermediate hosts of SARS-CoV are also covered. A section compares the various diagnostic tests, including the detection of SARS-CoV-2 proteins (antigen tests), viral RNA (genetic tests), and infectious viruses (viral neutralization tests). Another section describes treatment options, including traditional and nontraditional drugs, micronutrients such as zinc, copper, selenium, and iron, as well as vitamin D supplementation. The variety of preventative measures that were implemented is also described, including personal protective equipment, social distancing, decontamination of infected surfaces, quarantine, and closure of businesses and schools. Different vaccine options are also compared. These include vaccines based on RNA, viral vectors, and inactivated viruses.