Articles: pandemics.
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Frontiers of medicine · Apr 2020
ReviewAdvances in COVID-19: the virus, the pathogenesis, and evidence-based control and therapeutic strategies.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early December 2019, 81 174 confirmed cases and 3242 deaths have been reported in China as of March 19, 2020. The Chinese people and government have contributed huge efforts to combat this disease, resulting in significant improvement of the situation, with 58 new cases (34 were imported cases) and 11 new deaths reported on March 19, 2020. ⋯ Here, we review the recent advances in COVID-19, including the insights in the virus, the responses of the host cells, the cytokine release syndrome, and the therapeutic approaches to inhibit the virus and alleviate the cytokine storm. By sharing knowledge and deepening our understanding of the virus and the disease pathogenesis, we believe that the community can efficiently develop effective vaccines and drugs, and the mankind will eventually win this battle against this pandemic.
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Due to the coronavirus epidemic, healthcare systems face growing challenges all around the world nowadays. These challenges are the most critical in the field of intensive treatment and anesthesiology. ⋯ The aim of the present review is to summarize the most important related knowledge available from previous experiences. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(17): 652–659.
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Review
[Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): update for anesthesiologists and intensivists March 2020].
The current outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has reached Germany. The majority of people infected present with mild disease, but there are severe cases that need intensive care. Unlike other acute infectious diseases progressing to sepsis, the severe courses of COVID19 seemingly show prolonged progression from onset of first symptoms to life-threatening deterioration of (primarily) lung function. ⋯ Severe ARDS reflects the hallmark of a critical course of the disease. Preventing nosocomial infections (primarily by correct use of personal protective equipment) and maintenance of hospitals' operational capability are of utmost importance. Departments of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and emergency medicine will envisage major challenges.
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A pandemic due to novel coronavirus arose in mid-December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and in 3 months' time swept the world. The disease has been referred to as COVID-19, and the causative agent has been labelled SARS-CoV-2 due to its genetic similarities to the virus (SARS-CoV-1) responsible for the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic nearly 20 years earlier. The spike proteins of both viruses dictate tissue tropism using the angiotensin-converting enzyme type 2 (ACE-2) receptor to bind to cells. ⋯ The neurological disorders occurring with COVID-19 may have many pathophysiological underpinnings. Some appear to be the consequence of direct viral invasion of the nervous system tissue, others arise as a postviral autoimmune process, and still others are the result of metabolic and systemic complications due to the associated critical illness. This review addresses the preliminary observations regarding the neurological disorders reported with COVID-19 to date and describes some of the disorders that are anticipated from prior experience with similar coronaviruses.