The Coronavirus disease 2019, popularly known as the COVID -19, is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province, and has since then, spread globally, resulting in an ongoing pandemic. As of 7 May 2020, more than 3.77 million cases have been reported across 187 countries and territories, resulting in more than 264,000 deaths. More than 1.25 million people have recovered.
COVID -19 Symptoms
Common symptoms of COVID -19 are given below:
1. Fever
2. Cough
3. Fatigue
4. Shortness of breath
6. Loss of smell and taste
While the majority of cases result in mild symptoms, some progress to viral pneumonia, multi-organ failure, or cytokine storm. The time from exposure to onset of symptoms is typically around five days but may range from two to fourteen days.
COVID -19: How It Spreads
The virus is primarily spread between people during close contact, often via small droplets produced by coughing, sneezing, and talking. The droplets usually fall to the ground or onto surfaces rather than remaining in the air over long distances. People may also become infected by touching a contaminated surface and then touching their face. On surfaces, the amount of virus declines over time until it is insufficient to remain infectious, but it may be detected for hours or days. It is most contagious during the first three days after the onset of symptoms, although spread may be possi
ble before symptoms appear and in later stages of the disease. The standard method of diagnosis is by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) from a nasopharyngeal swab. Chest CT imaging may also be helpful for diagnosis in individuals where there is a high suspicion of infection based on symptoms and risk factors; however, guidelines do not recommend using it for routine screening.
COVID -19: Prevention
Recommended measures to prevent infection from this deadly virus include:
1. Washing Hands with handwash and water frequently
2. Maintaining physical distance from others (especially from those with symptoms)
3. Quarantine
4. Covering coughs, and keeping unwashed hands away from the face.
In addition, the use of a face covering is recommended for those who suspect they have the virus and their caregivers. Recommendations for face covering use by the general public vary, with some authorities recommending, some recommending against, and others requiring their use. There is limited evidence for or against the use of masks (medical or other) in healthy individuals in the wider community.
COVID -19 Treatment:
According to the World Health Organization, there are no available vaccines nor specific antiviral treatments for COVID-19. On 1 May 2020, the United States gave Emergency Use Authorization to the antiviral remdesivir for people hospitalized with severe COVID-19. Management involves the treatment of symptoms, supportive care, isolation, and experimental measures. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020 and a pandemic on 11 March 2020. Local transmission of the disease has occurred in most countries across all six WHO regions.
COVID -19 Vaccine Recent Developments
Israel Isolates Coronavirus Monoclonal Antibody in Potential COVID-19 Antidote
The Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) presented the country’s Defense Minister Naftali Bennet with a “significant breakthrough” in the search for an antidote to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Monday night. In a statement, Bennet stated that IIBR briefed him on the breakthrough, explaining that they had effectively isolated the antibody that attacks the virus monocularly and neutralizes COVID-19 in carriers' bodies. According to researchers at IIBR, the development phase has been completed. IIBR Director Shmuel Shapira, PhD, explained that they will first register the antibody for a patent, before proceeding to connect with international companies that have the capacity to mass-produce the antibody in commercial quantities. According to Reuters, an antibody, like the one developed in Israel, is obtained from a single recovered cell. Currently, there are other facilities researching antibodies, but they have developed treatments from polyclonal antibodies, which consist of multiple cells.2 The benefit of a monoclonal antibody is that it potentially has more potent value in yielding a treatment. At the end of March, Bennet informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the progress in the isolation of the COVID-19 monoclonal antibody at IIBR. Bennet explained that the institute was developing a model for the next phase of animal testing. In Netenyahu’s press conference in April, he explained further that the institute had made progress not only toward developing an antibody, but also a vaccine for COVID-19. This separate antibody-based vaccine is currently being tested in trials on rodents. Further antibody testing is currently underway elsewhere in the world as well, but questions remain regarding whether antibodies allow for immunity from getting infected or re-infected, as no study has proven either definitively. Furthermore, no study has proven whether the efficacy of antibody protection endures over time. Currently, according to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that no more than 2% to 3% of the world population have antibodies that demonstrate whether they were previously infected. However, further research into antibodies may help to amass knowledge and information on the appropriate treatment methods available for COVID-19, while companies around the world work as quickly as possible on the development of a vaccine.
Italy claims to have developed the first COVID-19 vaccine
While multiple research groups are developing potential vaccines, Italian scientists have claimed to develop a vaccine that has successfully generated antibodies in mice that work on human cells. The vaccine has been tested in the Spallanzani Hospital hospital in Rome. It is said to be one of the most advanced stages of testing of a potential vaccine in the country as the vaccine neutralizes the SARS-CoV-2 in the human cells.
After a single vaccination, the mice developed antibodies that can block the virus from infecting human cells. The researchers selected the two best candidates after observing that the five vaccine candidates generated a large number of antibodies.
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