Table 1.

Biological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.

		References
Name of disease	COVID-19	[35]
Caused by	SARS-CoV-2	[35–37]
Virus genus	β-coronavirus	[14]
Virus composition	RNA, Spike protein, β-coronavirus, and hemagglutinin	[38]
Virus target	Respiratory system
Functional receptor	ACE-2	[28]
Mode of transmission	Contact, respiratory droplets, fecal oral route, and fomites
Incubation period	2–14 days	[39]
Average age affected	46% of cases occur in adults
Classic symptoms	Fever, cough, sore throat, and shortness of breath	[40]
Complications	Pneumonia, ARDS
Mortality rate	>3%; increases with age and co-morbidities	[41]
Investigation/findings	CT chest, lymphocytopenia
Diagnosis	Identification of viral RNA by PCR	[2]
Treatment	Supportive care including antiviral drugs
Vaccines	Under clinical trials in selected countries
Mode of reduction	Social distancing, avoidance of close contact, good personal hygiene, personal protective equipment, sheltering at home, isolation of identified cases