Coronavirus disease 2019: A new severe acute respiratory syndrome from Wuhan in China
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Updated: Dec 18, 2025

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Published on: November 10, 2023
Insights
A novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak, COVID-19, emerged in late 2019. This article reviews its history, epidemiology, and clinical aspects, proposing potential antiviral drug targets.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, marked a significant global health event.
- The outbreak rapidly spread, characterized by a notable fatality rate and declared a public health emergency by the WHO.
- Initial cases were linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, suggesting zoonotic origins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of COVID-19, encompassing its history, epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment.
- To identify potential therapeutic targets for antiviral drugs based on virus genome sequencing and host-cell interaction models.
- To contribute insights for epidemic control strategies and vaccine development.
Main Methods:
- Review of recently published studies on COVID-19.
- Analysis of virus genome sequencing data.
- Modeling of host cell-virus interactions.
Main Results:
- Identification of SARS-CoV-2 as the causative agent of COVID-19.
- Characterization of the outbreak's epidemiology and clinical presentation.
- Proposal of potential targets for antiviral drug development.
Conclusions:
- SARS-CoV-2 is the novel coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Understanding the virus's characteristics is crucial for effective treatment and control.
- Further research into antiviral targets and vaccine development is essential for managing the epidemic.
Abstract:
An outbreak of new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has emerged during December 2019. The ongoing outbreak in Wuhan City spread rapidly throughout China, where the fatality rate ranged from 2.1 to 4.9%. Due to its high transmissibility, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern on 30 January 2020. The current outbreak has the potential to become the first pandemic of the new millennium. Most patients who were first diagnosed with COVID-19 worked at or lived in the vicinity of the local Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where live animals were also on sale. The concerted efforts of Chinese scientists led to the independent isolation from patients and identification of a novel coronavirus, SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), on 6 January 2020; this has been an important step in the development of treatment. The purpose of this article is to overview the history, epidemiology, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID 2019 reported in recently published studies. Based on the results of virus genome sequencing and a model of the interaction between host cells and the virus, we propose several possible targets for antiviral drugs, which may provide new ideas for epidemic control and vaccine development. Keywords: 2019 novel coronavirus; pneumonia; SARS-CoV-2; Coronaviridae; COVID-19.
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