A Review: Global Pattern of Distribution of Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19)

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume V, Issue IV, April 2020 | ISSN 2454-6194

A Review: Global Pattern of Distribution of Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19)

JP.C. Mbagwu^1*, Obidike Blessing^2*, I.V.Anyiam³, F.I. Omeje^3
1Department of Physics, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria
²Department of Chemistry, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria
³Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
*Corresponding Author

Abstract—An urgent respiratory disease called novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2, previously known as 2019-nCoV) has spread throughout the globe. In this study, we investigated the pattern of distribution of COVID-19 in five different continents of the global spread as at 26thMarch, 2020. An online sample of distribution was successfully recruited from Africa, America, Asia, Oceania and Europe. The epidemiological curve and pattern of geographical distribution was also reviewed and results show that European countries like Italy, Spain and United Kingdom indicate an epidemic progression in relation to same curve observed in China in January and February 2020 but with exception to China. European countries record more cases since outbreak of the ensued deadly COVID-19, followed by America and Asia. More than 80% of patients are confirmed in Italy, Spain, UK and USA and this calls for an urgent need to develop therapeutics and vaccines so as to prevent further global spread.

Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-COV-2, Transmission Epidemiological curve, Pandemic, Therapeutics and Vaccines.

I. INTRODUCTION

NewCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID ‘19) is an emerging urgent respiratory disease that was initially noticed in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei province China. This infectious disease is caused by a newly emerged zoonotic coronavirus, a positive-sense enveloped single-stranded polydentate RNA virus, commonly called distinct Urgent Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Itwas isolated from a patient with pneumonia and associated to a group of urgent respiratory illness cases [1]. Genetic studies revealed that it is intimately related to SARS-CoV and genetically clusters within the genus Beta coronavirus, subgenus Sarbecovirus [2] and belongs to similar family of viruses as SARSs and different types of common cold. This virus is being classified into 3 major groups based on serological cross reactivity namely: porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and Feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV), the disease is very contagious, and its major clinical symptoms includes fever, lymphopenia, dry cough, lower tract respiratory infection, gastrointestinal symptoms, diarrhea, fatigue, myalgia, and dyspnea [3].

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