In December 2019, China has reported a new disease spreading within the country that started in the city of Wuhan. Now it is called COVID-19 or the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2. As of March 24, it has already affected 196 countries and territories with a total of 384,433 number of cases, 102,536 of it has already been cured while 16,591 of the people have already died.
SARS-Cov 2003
Long before COVID-19, another coronavirus has infected the world that also started in China. The severe acute respiratory syndrome was first discovered in November 2002 and first infected humans in Guangdong, China and a reemergence happened in 2003. It has spread to 26 countries and resulted in more than 8,000 cases. Indeed, the place was identified as a potential zone of a reemergence of SARS-CoV.
Before its emergence, there is only 12 known coronavirus, but after SARS many animal species have increased the number on the list of coronaviruses to at least 36. Experts have conducted a number of epidemiological, clinical, pathological, immunological, and virological research following the SARS outbreak in 2003 to counter coronavirus outbreak that may happen.
Emerging and Reemerging Infection
In a study published by Clinical Microbiology Reviews in 2007, they described the situation in China as a "time bomb" for a dangerous outbreak because of their culture in eating exotic mammals. Additionally, the researchers are also concerned with the country's crowded wet markets packed with exotic animals and lacking biosecurity, and the presence of SARS-CoV-like viruses in the horseshoe bats and the virus' ability to undergo genetic recombination.
Undoubtedly, the conditions needed for the reemergence of the coronavirus in China have all been satisfied resulting in the discovery of today's COVID-19 pandemic or also known as SARS-CoV-2. Over 4,000 publications are available online after the SARS emergence in 2003. Despite that, gaps still exist that need to be addressed to solve this pandemic crisis.
Scientists today must resolve the gaps in terms of the molecular basis of the physical stability and transmissibility of this virus, the molecular and immunological basis of disease pathogenesis in humans, screening tests for early detection of the SARS-like virus, and the foolproof infection control in taking care of the infected patients.
They should also take into consideration the use of immunomodulatory agents for late presenters or those asymptomatic patients, release an effective vaccine, and the cause of the transmission of the virus that may have started in the markets of China at the beginning of this pandemic.
Treatment and Vaccination
A lot of global effort underway to develop vaccines and treatments for SARS-CoV-2, including reprocessing existing drugs that are used in treating other forms of coronaviruses. Many of these efforts are already in the testing phase which is required before it is approved to be used as treatment.
In an article by Science Times, the US government has already started its human testing of the antiviral drug to cure the COVID-19. Some vaccines also have entered human clinical trials at unprecedented speed because of the pandemic. It usually takes about a year to complete a vaccine.
In the meantime, people should follow the guidelines set by the health experts and their governments to help the healthcare system buy time in developing treatments that can mitigate the disease and eventually introduce immunity to block the transmission of the virus.
