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Updated: Nov 20, 2025

Quantification and Whole Genome Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater and Air Samples
Published on: June 30, 2023
An extensive study on the COVID-19 pandemic, an emerging global crisis: Risks, transmission, impacts and mitigation
P Parthasarathy1, S Vivekanandan1
1School of Electrical Engineering, VIT University, Tamilnadu, India.
Insights
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a highly transmissible viral infection causing pneumonia. This review summarizes COVID-19 pathogenicity, symptoms like fever and cough, and its similarity to ARDS.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- The emergence of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in China in late 2019 led to a global health crisis.
- COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is characterized by rapid human-to-human transmission.
- No clinically approved antiviral medications or vaccines were available at the time of this analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the pathogenicity of COVID-19.
- To raise public awareness regarding COVID-19 detection, monitoring, diagnosis, and care.
- To provide an overview of current scientific understanding of COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- A systematic analysis of over 50 scientific publications on COVID-19.
- Review of epidemiological data, clinical manifestations, and pathological characteristics.
- Comparison of COVID-19 transmission and pathology with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Main Results:
- Fever (87.0%), cough (65.9%), and malaise/tiredness (35%) were the most common symptoms.
- COVID-19 exhibited more specific transmission patterns compared to SARS.
- The mortality rate was reported at 2.7%, with pathological characteristics similar to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
Conclusions:
- COVID-19 presents a significant global health challenge requiring continued monitoring and research.
- Understanding the clinical and pathological features is crucial for effective management and public health strategies.
- Further research into treatments and vaccines is essential to combat the pandemic.
Abstract:
A number of unexplained cases of pneumonia have been recorded since November 2019 in China. It is officially named the new corona virus (2019-nCov) by the World Health Organization on 12 January 2020. WHO officially named it COVID-19 on 11 February. COVID-19 is a highly transmitted and pathogenic viral infection that has been developed and spread across the world in Wuhan, China, caused by extreme acute respiratory syndrome corona-virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Genomic analysis showed that bats may also be a primary reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 phylogenetically associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome-like viruses (SARS). However, the rapid human to human transition has been generally reported. Intermediate source of origin and human transition is unknown. Clinically approved COVID-19 antiviral medication or vaccine is not available. In clinical trials, however, few broad-based COVID-19 antiviral medicinal drugs were tested, resulting in clinical recovery. This analysis summarizes the pathogenicity of COVID-19 and aims to raise awareness of COVID-19 among the population and to continually boost the detection, monitoring, diagnosis and care level. Over 50 COVID-19 scientific publications were included in this systematic analysis. We found that fever (87.0%), cough (65.9%) and malaise/tiredness (35%) were the most common symptoms of COvida-19. However, COVID-19 clinical signs and symptoms were not necessarily obvious. The transmission of COVID-19 in comparison to SARS was more specific. The rate of death of COVID-19 was 2,7% and the pathological characteristics of COVID-19 are very similar to ARDS. There are also discussions on the latest epidemiological changes, clinical manifestations, auxiliary examination and COVID-19 pathological characteristics.
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