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?:abstract
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the coronavirus disease- 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which was first reported from Wuhan, China in late 2019. Its infection spread to thousands of people globally within a short span of time with a progressive trend towards mortality of citizens. Posing a potential public health threat, SARS-CoV-2 progressed from animal-to-human to human-to-human transmission with symptoms ranging from little to no illness to persons severely ill to many deaths, confirming two criteria for declaring COVID-19 a pandemic. The disease shows a progressive trend in symptomology, ranging from mild to severe pneumoniae to respiratory and multi-visceral failure that often shows trend to death of patients with comorbidity within a short span of time. Intensive research efforts on different aspects of this human pathogen are underway across the globe towards elucidating viral transmission routes and the mechanisms employed to overcome host defense responses. With huge infective potential, studies are being carried out vigorously to develop effective diagnostics and therapeutic interventions including re-purposing antivirals and other potential inhibitors. Herein, we describe the taxonomic classification of SARSCoV-2; the structural organization of its genome; its infectivity, transmission, and receptor interaction; and we summarize risk assessment and approaches used in preventing infection. Finally, we discuss important aspects of the development of diagnostic tools and therapeutic countermeasures that have potential to help in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.
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