COVID‐19: Implications Regarding the Properties and Behaviors of the Coronavirus Disease

The novel coronavirus SARS‐Cov‐2 or COVID‐19 became a global pandemic and currently few medically approved curative treatments exist. SARS‐Cov‐2 acts similarly to SARS‐CoV‐1 from where it may have evolved. The COVID‐19 virus can survive ~3 hours in air and < 72 hours on distinct surfaces. COVID‐19 mutates by introducing sequence errors in the host’s RNA genome or by modifying proteins and enzymes. Vaccination, including booster shots, social distancing and isolation are the most generally practiced guidelines in the global management of COVID‐19. Globally the most frequently utilized pharmacologic treatments include ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, glucocorticoids, the anti‐viral agent remdesivir, monoclonal antibodies, and convalescent plasma in combination with an antimicrobial agent such as azithromycin to minimize secondary microbial infection and nutritional supplementation (vitamins C, D3, and zinc) to enhance cellular immune responses and are included in the routine protocols of some emergency rooms. COVID‐19 viral transmission occurs via respiratory microdroplets, by inhaling COVID‐19 laden airborne particles and contact with contaminated surfaces on which these droplets have been deposited. SARS‐CoV‐2 targets ACE2 receptors in the upper and lower respiratory tracts in addition to the heart, brain, and gastrointestinal tract, and may cause thromboses in the liver, heart, and kidney. Significant risk factors for the severity of COVID‐19 infection include advanced age and pre‐existing comorbid conditions obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and compromised immune status, which all correlate with greater mortality. Outcome‐effecting factors include viral load, viral mutations, and pre‐existing conditions. Since its origination, genomic studies of the virus have identified numerous variants which have become regionally prevalent in different countries. Infective factors, comorbidities and viral load strongly affect outcomes; patients infected with the greatest viral load showed a higher mortality. It is opined that the number of deaths attributed to COVID‐19 may be inaccurate due to errors in diagnosing and reporting, since other similar illnesses may exhibit similar symptoms. Future research should focus on prevention practices, comorbidities, genetic prevalence, reliable systematic and consistency in country‐by‐country testing and reporting procedures, further scrutiny regarding the efficacy of current vaccines and protocols, and t