CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) AS A GLOBAL PANDEMIA (OVERVIEW)

Abstract

Covid-19, also known as corona virus, was named because of its appearance, its outer layer covered with spike proteins that look like crown. There are many variants of corona virus, most famous are novel, delta and omicron.First cases of covid-19 were reported in China in 2019, that spread rapidly all over the world, leading to pandemic. The transmission of coronavirus happens through airborne, droplet and contact ways. People can experience different kinds of symptoms, from mild to severe. Many people have mild symptoms, and some might even be asymptomatic. There are also times when disease causes severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, requiring supplementation of oxygen and in some cases mechanical ventilation. Diagnosis of coronavirus is done usingnasopharyngeal swab to do PCR test. There is no available cure for coronavirus yet. Treatment of coronavirus depends mainly on the symptoms and severity of the disease. For mild symptoms symptomatic treatment and supportive care recommended. When disease causes more symptoms that require oxygen supplementation then hospitalization will be required. Antivirals such as remdesivir, baricitinib, or tocilizumab can also be administered along with corticosteroids. The FDA (The U.S Food and Drug Administration) approved monoclonal antibody transfusion and convalescent plasma therapyfor treatment of coronavirus.Vaccination is one of the safest and effective ways to help immune system to build protection against coronavirus.In the U.S three covid vaccines were approved by FDA. Those vaccines are: Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson.Hand hygiene, wearing mask, social distancing, avoiding large crowds, and vaccination are important way to reduce spread of this virus.