The 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19): Indian scenario

COVID-19 is nowadays a highly infectious disease affecting human civilization throughout the Globe including India. A novel Coronavirus (nCoV) which was first reported from Wuhan, People's Republic of China, has now emerged as a public health emergency of international concern. The pandemic is caused by the Novel virus of the Coronaviridae family known as SARS-CoV-2. The outbreak was first reported in December 2019, and at present has spread in almost all over the world with more than 23 million cases causing more than 8 lakh 9 thousand deaths up to August 2020. At present India is having more than 3 million confirmed cases (3rd highest in the infection list) of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with 56000+ deaths, resulting in an overall case fatality rate of 2.04 percent. By August 2020, 215 countries around the world are under the threat of the pandemic with a death rate of 5% approx. Severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 is generally transmitted via close contact with active and non-symptomatic patients and also via air droplets or aerosol routes. The virus generally infects the respiratory system and later on goes on affecting all vital organs in humans. The development of acute respiratory tract infection with fever, cough, diarrhoea, dyspnoea, headache, and breathing trouble are a few typical signs of this infection. In this background, this review will focus on virology, the nature of the infection and epidemiology, pathogenicity, symptomology, diagnostic techniques, possible remedies, and scope to overcome this threat over the mankind with special reference to the Indian perspective. This review will also focus on the key ongoing efforts to prevent the COVID-19 outbreak and identifies the needs to be incorporated in health management systems, and community response mechanisms towards improving global as well as Indian health security.