Coronavirus in Recent Years: Characteristics, Outbreaks, and Treatments

Coronaviruses cause acute respiratory syndromes, e.g., SARS, MERS, and COVID-19, whose treatment depends on several factors, specifically the age of patients, adopted treatments, time of hospitalization, and timely diagnosis. The present study was conducted to investigate the interaction between the mentioned factors and treatment.

Relevant full-text publications were indicated by searching in the five online databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, WOS, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library using MeSH terms during 2010-2024. Only original case reports (n=55) that worked on signs and treatments were selected and analysed according to age, gender, medical history, diagnostic methods, treatments, kind of respiratory syndrome, and transmission ways. Articles that met the inclusion criteria were evaluated by each of the reviewers independently, and non-agreements were solved by consulting with a fourth reviewer.

According to the results, the severe respiratory syndromes occurred more in the elderly than younger people and in males than females (58% and 42%, respectively). Medical history of diabetes and heart disease showed the maximum effect on the person to get involved with the severe respiratory syndrome. Clinical methods were used more for the diagnosis of the diseases because of easy access and less time consumption. Combination therapy was better than single therapy. The most common route of transmission was human to human and nosocomial.

It can be concluded that these types of fatal respiratory illnesses can be controlled if the health care workers become familiar with the type of illness and apply the early and effective treatments.