Clinical Management and Control of COVID-19 Infection: A Review

In late December 2019, COVID-19 was first identified in Wuhan, China and resulted in a formidable outbreak in provinces and cities in China that became a pandemic. The outbreak likely began as several cases caused by probable zoonotic transmission, followed by human-to-human transmission via droplets or contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated items. COVID-19 mainly affects the lower respiratory tract and manifests as pneumonia in human, and severely affected patients may have multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Despite recent progress in vaccine development, the management of multiple organ failure caused by immune injury is mainly supportive. COVID-19 is more contagious than SARS and MERS, although it has a lower mortality rate. The 2019 outbreak of COVID-19 has been classified by the WHO as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, which has drawn attention to the challenge of the disease and caused questioning of scientific strategies for preventing infection and improving clinical outcomes. This article reviews the latest developments on transmission and clinical management and control of COVID-19 infection.