The Third Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America.
PLoS Pathog. 2020 May 22;16(5):e1008536. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008536. eCollection 2020 May.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus that has caused a worldwide pandemic of the human respiratory illness COVID-19, resulting in a severe threat to public health and safety. Analysis of the genetic tree suggests that SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the same Betacoronavirus group as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Although the route for viral transmission remains a mystery, SARS-CoV-2 may have originated in an animal reservoir, likely that of bat. The clinical features of COVID-19, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue, are similar to those of many acute respiratory infections. There is currently no specific treatment for COVID-19, but antiviral therapy combined with supportive care is the main strategy. Here, we summarize recent progress in understanding the epidemiological, virological, and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 and discuss potential targets with existing drugs for the treatment of this emerging zoonotic disease.
严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）是一种新型冠状病毒，已在全球范围内引发人类呼吸道疾病 COVID-19 大流行，对公众健康和安全构成严重威胁。遗传树分析表明，SARS-CoV-2 属于与严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒（SARS-CoV）和中东呼吸综合征冠状病毒（MERS-CoV）相同的β冠状病毒组。尽管病毒传播途径仍不清楚，但 SARS-CoV-2 可能源自动物宿主，可能是蝙蝠。COVID-19 的临床特征，如发热、咳嗽、呼吸急促和疲劳，与许多急性呼吸道感染相似。目前尚无针对 COVID-19 的特定治疗方法，但抗病毒治疗联合支持性护理是主要策略。在这里，我们总结了对 COVID-19 的流行病学、病毒学和临床特征的最新认识，并讨论了针对这种新兴人畜共患病的现有药物的潜在治疗靶点。
