The origin, transmission and clinical therapies on coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) outbreak——an update on the status

An acute respiratory disease,caused by a novel coronavirus(SARS-CoV-2,previously known as 2019-nCoV),the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has spread throughout China and received worldwide attention.On 30 January 2020,World Health Organization(WHO)officially declared the COVID-19 epidemic as a public health emergency of international concern.The emergence of SARS-CoV-2,since the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus(SARSCoV)in 2002 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERS-CoV)in 2012,marked the third introduction of a highly pathogenic and large-scale epidemic coronavirus into the human population in the twenty-first century.As of 1 March 2020,a total of 87,137 confirmed cases globally,79,968 confirmed in China and 7169 outside of China,with 2977 deaths(3.4%)had been reported by WHO.Meanwhile,several independent research groups have identified that SARS-CoV-2 belongs toβ-coronavirus,with highly identical genome to bat coronavirus,pointing to bat as the natural host.The novel coronavirus uses the same receptor,angiotensin-converting enzyme 2(ACE2)as that for SARS-CoV,and mainly spreads through the respiratory tract.Importantly,increasingly evidence showed sustained human-tohuman transmission,along with many exported cases across the globe.The clinical symptoms of COVID-19 patients include fever,cough,fatigue and a small population of patients appeared gastrointestinal infection symptoms.The elderly and people with underlying diseases are susceptible to infection and prone to serious outcomes,which may be associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)and cytokine storm.Currently,there are few specific antiviral strategies,but several potent candidates of antivirals and repurposed drugs are under urgent investigation.In this review,we summarized the latest research progress of the epidemiology,pathogenesis,and clinical characteristics of COVID-19,and discussed the current treatment and scientific advancements to combat the epidemic novel coronavirus.

Psychological status and behavior changes of the public during the COVID-19 epidemic in China

Background:A cluster of pneumonia cases were reported by Wuhan Municipal Health Commission,China in December 2019.A novel coronavirus was eventually identified,and became the COVID-19 epidemic that affected public health and life.We investigated the psychological status and behavior changes of the general public in China from January 30 to February 3,2020.Methods:Respondents were recruited via social media(WeChat)and completed an online questionnaire.We used the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory,Self-rating Depression Scale,and Symptom Checklist-90 to evaluate psychological status.We also investigated respondents’behavior changes.Quantitative data were analyzed by t-tests or analysis of variance,and classified data were analyzed with chi-square tests.Results:In total,608 valid questionnaires were obtained.More respondents had state anxiety than trait anxiety(15.8%vs 4.0%).Depression was found among 27.1%of respondents and 7.7%had psychological abnormalities.About 10.1%of respondents suffered from phobia.Our analysis of the relationship between subgroup characteristics and psychological status showed that age,gender,knowledge about COVID-19,degree of worry about epidemiological infection,and confidence about overcoming the outbreak significantly influenced psychological status.Around 93.3%of respondents avoided going to public places and almost all respondents reduced Spring Festival-related activities.At least 70.9%of respondents chose to take three or more preventive measures to avoid infection.The three most commonly used prevention measures were making fewer trips outside and avoiding contact(98.0%),wearing a mask(83.7%),and hand hygiene(82.4%).Conclusions:We need to pay more attention to public psychological stress,especially among young people,as they are likely to experience anxiety,depression,and psychological abnormalities.Different psychological interventions could be formulated according to the psychological characteristics of different gender and age groups.The majority of respondents followed specific behaviors required by the authorities,but it will take time to observe the effects of these behaviors on the epidemic.