Understanding COVID-19: An overview of the virus, variants, vaccines, and treatment strategies

Abstract

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has greatly impacted society and health care worldwide. This narrative review provides an in-depth understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including its structure, life cycle, possible origins and mechanisms of infection. The potential pathophysiology of COVID-19 disease and the comparison of various detection techniques are discussed, highlighting the effectiveness of RT-PCR tests. In particular, this paper examined the treatments options available for COVID-19, with a focus on antiviral agents and immune modulators. Vaccine strategies are discussed, with mRNA vaccines, particularly Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, being the most promising. Finally, the review analyzed the emergence of new variants and their impacts on the effectiveness of immunization against this specific pandemic disease. We can only understand COVID-19 when we unmask its intricacies in our fight against it, which requires a multi-pronged approach, such as continued research into viral variants and targeted therapeutics while maintaining effective therapies and mass vaccination campaigns in addition to other public health interventions aimed at controlling the pandemic.