COVID-19: The first documented coronavirus pandemic in history

Yen-Chin Liu; Rei-Lin Kuo; Shin-Ru Shih

doi:10.1016/j.bj.2020.04.007

COVID-19: The first documented coronavirus pandemic in history

Biomed J. 2020 Aug;43(4):328-333. doi: 10.1016/j.bj.2020.04.007. Epub 2020 May 5.

Authors

Yen-Chin Liu¹, Rei-Lin Kuo², Shin-Ru Shih³

Affiliations

¹ The Research Center for Emerging Viral Infection, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
² The Research Center for Emerging Viral Infection, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Division of Allergy, Asthma, and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
³ The Research Center for Emerging Viral Infection, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Clinical Virology Laboratory, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Research Center for Food and Cosmetic Safety, Graduate Institute of Health Industry Technology, College of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Electronic address: srshih@mail.cgu.edu.tw.

Abstract

The novel human coronavirus disease COVID-19 has become the fifth documented pandemic since the 1918 flu pandemic. COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China, and subsequently spread worldwide. The coronavirus was officially named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses based on phylogenetic analysis. SARS-CoV-2 is believed to be a spillover of an animal coronavirus and later adapted the ability of human-to-human transmission. Because the virus is highly contagious, it rapidly spreads and continuously evolves in the human population. In this review article, we discuss the basic properties, potential origin, and evolution of the novel human coronavirus. These factors may be critical for studies of pathogenicity, antiviral designs, and vaccine development against the virus.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Pandemic; SARS-COV-2.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Betacoronavirus / pathogenicity*
COVID-19
China / epidemiology
Coronavirus / pathogenicity*
Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
Humans
Pandemics
Phylogeny*
Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
SARS-CoV-2