African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12486

Full Length Research Paper

Symptoms, epidemiology and diagnosis: A mini-review on coronavirus

Abdulkarim S. BinShaya
  • Abdulkarim S. BinShaya
  • Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Science, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU), Alkharj, Saudi Arabia.
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Mohamed Bamaga
  • Mohamed Bamaga
  • Microbiology Laboratory, Taif Military Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
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Awal Zaki
  • Awal Zaki
  • Dammam Regional Laboratory, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
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Hajir Alsaihati
  • Hajir Alsaihati
  • Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Science, Hafr AlBatin University, Saudi Arabia.
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Adnan Alwatban
  • Adnan Alwatban
  • Imaging Sevices, KFMC, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Fahad Aldakheel
  • Fahad Aldakheel
  • Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Science, KSU, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Abdulaziz Alanazi
  • Abdulaziz Alanazi
  • Department of Pharmacy, KAMC, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Nahed Alharthi
  • Nahed Alharthi
  • Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Science, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU), Alkharj, Saudi Arabia.
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Amani F. Alanazi
  • Amani F. Alanazi
  • Department of Respiratory Therapy, College of Applied Sciences, Almaarefa University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Arwa F. Alanazi
  • Arwa F. Alanazi
  • Department of Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Riyadh Elm University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Faris Q. B. Alenzi
  • Faris Q. B. Alenzi
  • Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Science, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU), Alkharj, Saudi Arabia.
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  •  Received: 23 August 2020
  •  Accepted: 25 September 2020
  •  Published: 31 October 2020

Abstract

There is worldwide concern about the rapid spread of the Covid19 (COVID-19) pandemic which now affects almost every country in the world. Generating accurate diagnosis of COVID-19 by testing hundreds of thousands of people per day, and the search for effective therapeutics and vaccines are currently the focus of intense research in large numbers of companies and academic institutions around the world. This review will describe the background, origin, epidemiology, symptoms of COVID-19 infection, and its methods of detection. Because of the rapidly changing news on the development of new therapeutic approaches (many of which have already been discarded), and the constantly breaking news - on a daily basis - about the development of vaccines (there are currently 22 separate vaccine programmes worldwide), we will leave the future therapeutic and vaccination options outside the scope of this review. We will address these topics later, once some clarity has prevailed surrounding the large number of putative therapeutic and vaccination options that are currently being explored and an evidence-based approach can be meaningfully applied to interpreting how patient management, and national epidemiological management, can benefit by these emerging breakthroughs.

 

Key words: Covid-19, corona, diagnosis, epidemiology, cytokine storm, CT scan, SARS.

Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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