The continuing pandemic threat of COVID-19 - A need for public enlightenment

Abstract

A novel coronavirus 2019 now re-designated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus, emerged in Wuhan, China, on December 2019. Greater details about its origin and basis for high transmissibility remain largely unknown. The increasing incidence possibly linked to human-to-human transmission of the virus has resulted in rapid spread of the disease to 145 countries including Nigeria. To the best of our knowledge, the current review is one of the first locally published information on the novel COVID-19.We hereby describe the etiology, epidemiology, clinical management, and infection prevention and control of practices against COVID-19. This is to create more public awareness and sensitize health-care professionals on the urgent need for early recognition of suspect cases and practice of droplet and contact precautions to curtail the rapid spread of COVID-19.