In late December 2019, a new kind of Coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was officially identified in Wuhan, China. In March 2020, SARS-CoV-2 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), and it has infected millions of people worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious Coronavirus, which has led to an outbreak of acute respiratory tract infection called "Coronavirus disease 2019" (COVID-19), resulting in mild to severe respiratory infections in humans. The design of appropriate therapeutic approaches is dependent on the understanding of molecular and cellular pathways of Coronavirus infections. In this study, we summarized the characteristic features of SARS-CoV-2. In addition, we considered the recent information regarding COVID-19 molecular immune pathogenesis, diagnosis, and potential treatment, which may provide novel perspectives and therapeutic goals in combating SARS-CoV-2.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cytokine storm; diagnosis; treatment.