Biology of COVID-19 and related viruses: Epidemiology, signs, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Alan D Kaye; Elyse M Cornett; Kimberley C Brondeel; Zachary I Lerner; Haley E Knight; Abigail Erwin; Karina Charipova; Kyle L Gress; Ivan Urits; Richard D Urman; Charles J Fox; Christopher G Kevil

doi:10.1016/j.bpa.2020.12.003

Biology of COVID-19 and related viruses: Epidemiology, signs, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol. 2021 Oct;35(3):269-292. doi: 10.1016/j.bpa.2020.12.003. Epub 2020 Dec 8.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ LSU Health Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport LA 71103, USA. Electronic address: akaye@lsuhsc.edu.
² Department of Anesthesiology, LSU Health Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport LA 71103, USA. Electronic address: ecorne@lsuhsc.edu.
³ University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston TX 77555, USA. Electronic address: kcbronde@utmb.edu.
⁴ LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, 1901 Perdido Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. Electronic address: zlerne@lsuhsc.edu.
⁵ Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA. Electronic address: hknig1@lsuhsc.edu.
⁶ LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, 1901 Perdido Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. Electronic address: aerwi1@lsuhsc.edu.
⁷ Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C., 20007, USA. Electronic address: kc1032@georgetown.edu.
⁸ Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C., 20007, USA. Electronic address: klg93@georgetown.edu.
⁹ Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: ivanurits@gmail.com.
¹⁰ Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: rurman@bwh.harvard.edu.
¹¹ Department of Anesthesiology, LSU Health Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport LA 71103, USA. Electronic address: cfox1@lsuhsc.edu.
¹² LSU Health Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport LA 71103, USA. Electronic address: ckevil@lsuhsc.edu.

Abstract

Coronaviruses belong to the family Coronaviridae order Nidovirales and are known causes of respiratory and intestinal disease in various mammalian and avian species. Species of coronaviruses known to infect humans are referred to as human coronaviruses (HCoVs). While traditionally, HCoVs have been a significant cause of the common cold, more recently, emergent viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic. Here, we discuss coronavirus disease (COVID-19) biology, pathology, epidemiology, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and recent clinical trials involving promising treatments.

Keywords: COVID-19; coronavirus; outbreak; respiratory droplets; upper-respiratory tract illnesses.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adenosine Monophosphate / administration & dosage
Adenosine Monophosphate / analogs & derivatives
Adrenal Cortex Hormones / administration & dosage
Alanine / administration & dosage
Alanine / analogs & derivatives
Animals
Antiviral Agents / administration & dosage*
COVID-19 / diagnosis
COVID-19 / epidemiology*
COVID-19 / immunology
COVID-19 / therapy*
Coronavirus / drug effects
Coronavirus / immunology
Cough / epidemiology
Cough / therapy
Diabetes Mellitus / epidemiology
Diabetes Mellitus / therapy
Fatigue / epidemiology
Fatigue / therapy
Fever
Heart Diseases / epidemiology
Heart Diseases / therapy
Humans
Positive-Pressure Respiration / methods
Prognosis
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / epidemiology
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / therapy
SARS-CoV-2* / drug effects
SARS-CoV-2* / immunology
Treatment Outcome

Substances

Adrenal Cortex Hormones
Antiviral Agents
remdesivir
Adenosine Monophosphate
Alanine

Grants and funding

P20 GM121307/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States