Current Challenges for the Effective Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Within a short period, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) spread all over the globe and became the first pandemic of the present century. Early diagnostic tools and effective drugs are urgently needed to effectively manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on current literature, we provide recent updates on SARS-CoV-2 biology, available diagnostic methods, and therapeutic options for the management of COVID-19 pandemic.

A literature survey was done using Google and PubMed and Web of Science to summarize the current updates on this topic.

Current coronavirus diagnostic tests are reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), and reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) which detects the presence of specific genome sequence of virus. Existing antiviral drugs or new therapeutic options such as neutralizing antibody or plasma therapy are mostly used to restrict the virus growth with a limited success.

As there is no specific treatment or vaccine available to limit the infection of SARS-CoV-2, we need to rely on the existing way to limit the disease. The first priority to fight COVID-19 is development of early diagnostic tools so that infected persons can be identified and further viral transmission can be blocked. Evaluation of existing drugs or identification of new therapeutic entities becomes the major challenge to deal with the present pandemic.