COVID-19 a global pandemic causing local threat in Nepal

摘要

Coronavirus, first described in 1966, is known to cause mildrespiratory illnesses in humans. However, more virulent form ofcoronaviruses causing serious respiratory illnesses were identifiedin the past 2 decades. SARS-CoV (coronavirus) caused outbreaksof severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 29 countriesbetween 2002-2004. MERS-CoV, which was first identified in2012, caused Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) withhigh mortality. The current pandemic Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19) was identified in December 2019 after a cluster ofpatients with pneumonia of unknown etiology leading to ARDS(Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) were admitted in HubeiProvince of China. It was subsequently linked to the seafood andwet animal market of Wuhan, China.