Liječnički vjesnik, Vol. 142 No. 3-4, 2020.
Review article
https://doi.org/10.26800/LV-142-3-4-11
COVID-19, five months later
Adriana Vince
; Klinika za infektivne bolesti „Dr. Fran Mihaljević”, Zagreb; Medicinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Abstract
A new coronavirus, officially named SARS-CoV-2, that causes a new infectious disease COVID-19, emerged at the end of 2019 and conquered the whole world by devastating pandemics that by the middle of May 2020 infected 4.5 million people and caused 350,000 deaths. After originating in China at the end of last December, the virus strongly hit Europe and afterwards the United States of America, which still records the daily growth of 25,000 new cases and makes the USA hardest hit country with 30% of all world cases. The unemployment rates are growing in many affected countries and the International Monetary Fund has declared this pandemic the worst crisis since the depression at the beginning of the 20th century. The pandemic has pushed numerous countries to intervene with strict epidemiologic preventive measures, introducing the infamous lockdown by closing
traffic, schools, restaurants, any kind of public gatherings, urging people to stay at home and keep the social distance for weeks. International and national air traffic has been minimalized, millions of people have lost their jobs, the world economy is continuously shrinking with slight chances for rapid recovery. There are still many unknowns about the virus that scientists think first emerged in November 2019. This article reviews the current knowledge about epidemiologic, pathogenetic and clinical patterns of COVID-19, including perspective on therapy, vaccine and future pandemic development.
Keywords
CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS – diagnosis, epidemiology, mortality, prevention and control; BETACORONAVIRUS – genetics, pathogenicity; ANTIVIRAL AGENTS – therapeutic use; RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME, ADULT – diagnosis, virology; PEPTIDYL – DIPEPTIDASE A; SPIKE GLYCOPROTEIN, CORONAVIRUS; VIRAL VACCINES; PANDEMICS
Hrčak ID:
238504
URI
Publication date:
8.6.2020.
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