Focus on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

Abstract

A new coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, was first discovered in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. As of 7 April 2020, the new coronavirus has spread quickly to 184 countries and aroused the attention of the entire world. No targeted drugs have yet been available for intervention and treatment of this virus. The sharing of academic information is crucial to risk assessment and control activities in outbreak countries. In this review, we summarize the epidemiological, genetic and clinical characteristics of the virus as well as laboratory testing and treatments to understand the nature of the virus. We hope this review will be helpful to prevent viral infections in outbreak countries and regions.

Keywords::

• clinical characteristics
• epidemiology
• genomic
• laboratory testing
• SARS-CoV-2
• therapeutics

Author contributions

NN Zhang conceived the idea of this research question. LP Zhang reviewed the literature and drafted the manuscript. J Zhu, YP Wang and MX Wang supported the interpretation of data from the literature and the revision of the manuscript.

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge all doctors who participate in the fight against COVID-19 on the frontline.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 81970738 and no. 81600157) and Key Research and Development Program of Sichuan Province (no. 2020YFS0071). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

The research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 81970738 and no. 81600157) and Key Research and Development Program of Sichuan Province (no. 2020YFS0071). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.