Generalities, Clinical and Prevention Aspects of COVID-19: Mexico and Latin America

Abstract

SARS-CoV2 is a coronavirus. It was first identified by the end of 2019 in Wuhan, China in people suffering from severe pneumonia. Eventually, it spread worldwide causing the COVID-19 pandemic as well as 2,530,712 deaths around the world and placing Mexico in the third place in terms of the death toll. The infection may generate a great amount of clinical manifestations due to the presence of its receptor, ACE2, in the cells of the respiratory, intestinal, cardiovascular, renal, hepatic and testicular systems of the host, which causes an initial immunitary response that, if uncontroled, produces a cytokine storm, systemic inflammatory deterioration and, in some cases, multi-organ failure; which makes it an extremely complex disease. The diagnostic test is the RT-PCR; however, serological and rapid antigen tests have proven useful as well. The medical treatment will be determined according to the severity of the disease and the clinical status of each patient. The observation of some personal protection guidelines is necessary in order to control the pandemic while the process of creation of efficient vaccines is ongoing. Some of them have already been approved for use in case of health emergency though.