Elucidating the pathogenicity, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of COVID-19: Part I

Abstract

Background: From the beginning of 2020, much and more has been spoken about the coronavirus and coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). The concepts in terms of the infection, its transmission, the treatment, and its prevention are ever changing as well as unclear. Aim: The Part I of this review article strived to provide a clear picture on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19. Methods: An electronic search was performed in PubMed and Google Scholar database with the keywords “Corona Virus, COVID 19, World Health Organization, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), SARS-CoV-2, Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, Treatment, Plasma Convalescent Therapy, Immune system” from January 2017 to December 2021. Results: A total of 65 articles were included in the current review and analyzed to simplify the complicated information available in the literature. Conclusion: COVID-19 as said to originate from bats and transmitted through intermediatory hosts like pangolins, can be diagnosed symptomatically and with tests such as blood investigation, reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, computed tomography scan, saliva, or gingival crevicular fluid. Various treatment options include use of drugs such as antivirals, antimalarial, immune enhancers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, anticoagulant therapy, and antibodies.

Keywords

• coronavirus
• plasma convalescent therapy
• severe acute respiratory syndrome
• severe acute respiratory syndrome-cov-2
• world health organization