COVID-19 is an acute respiratory illness borne from infection with SARS-CoV-2 – a positive single-stranded RNA virus. The SARS-CoV-2 virus shares structural similarities to SARS and MERS, which cause acute severe respiratory infections. The incubation period for the development of clinical COVID-19 symptoms from the time of initial SARS-CoV-2 viral infection is highly variable, ranging from 2 to 14 days.
While more than 80% of infected patients spontaneously resolve the infection, up to 20% of COVID-19 patients have clinically severe complications which require hospitalization. Progression of the disease to respiratory failure has been common in severely ill patients and is associated with a high risk of death.
*Siddiqi et al The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation DOI:10.1016/j.healun. 2020.03.012
*Siddiqi et al The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation DOI:10.1016/j.healun. 2020.03.012
*Siddiqi et al The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation DOI:10.1016/j.healun. 2020.03.012
Given the lack of vaccines and conveniently administered therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2 infections, the primary approach employed for slowing the potential transmission of the virus has been to confirm infections through diagnostic testing, followed by the isolation of any infected persons or communities. Testing access and capacity have varied greatly across different countries, as have standards required for testing.
Several therapies and vaccines are currently being investigated to treat or prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccines are being developed to prevent infection and to create herd immunity, with the aim of preventing disease and reducing the amount of virus circulating within the community. Antiviral therapies are complementary to vaccines. We anticipate that antivirals will continue to be essential because of uncertainties around the level of immunity that the vaccines will be able to generate and the durability of such immunity.
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