Resumé
Background: Coronaviruses were not regarded as
important infectious agents of humans until 2002 when
the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS) was reported. The purpose of this
review is to improve knowledge and understanding
of the coronaviruses and their epidemiology,
transmission dynamics, and control.
Methodology: This article is a reviewed of 48 original
peer reviewed articles sourced from Electronic
databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus,
and African Journal Online, 3 online and printed
textbooks, and 19 reports on COVID-19 pandemic
by recognized health professional bodies such as the
World Health Organization, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, as well as findings of
pharmaceutical companies and test kit manufacturing
companies. Keywords used in the search were
Coronavirus, Epidemiology, Immune, MERS, SARS,
SARS-CoV-2.
Result: Seven human coronaviruses, the human
coronavirus (HCoV)-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV
HKU1, HCoV-NL63, severe acute respiratory
syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), SARS-CoV-2
and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
(MERS-COV) because human diseases
characterized by upper and lower respiratory tract
symptoms. They are transmitted most through
infectious droplet which can be inhaled or picked from
hard surfaces with the hand as formites into eyes,
nose and mouth. Epidemiologically, coronaviruses can
be grouped into two: the endemic (HCoV-229E,
HCoV-OC43, HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-NL63) and the
pandemic (SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 and MERS
COV) coronaviruses. The pandemic coronaviruses
have inflicted devastating public health and economic
damage on many countries since its first appearance
among humans in 2002.
Conclusion: The endemic coronaviruses have been
circulating in the human population for more than 50
years. The coronaviruses with pandemic potential
emerged recently, identified between 2002 and 2019.
The SARS-CoV pandemic came in 2002 and
disappeared shortly after, but the MERS-CoV which
emerged in 2012 is still circulating in certain countries.
The current pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 which started
2019 in China may disappear in one or two years like
SARS-CoV or persist in some countries like the
MERS-CoV.
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