The Current Understanding and Potential Therapeutic Options to Combat COVID-19

Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses known to cause illnesses that vary between the common cold and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) or Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID19) was identified in December 2019 in Wuhan city, Hubei province of China, which represents a new strain that affects human populations. Till date the pathogen has infected more than 30 million people across the globe and killed close to one million. Currently, no specific medication and/or cure are available for this contagion. However, governments and pharmaceutical companies are working against time to quickly find an effective drug to defeat the coronavirus. In the current review, we summarize the existing state of knowledge about COVID-19, available medications, and treatment options.