Corona virus SARS-CoV-2 disease COVID-19: Infection, prevention and clinical advances of the prospective chemical drug therapeutics

Abstract

The recent outbreak of Corona virus SARS-CoV-2 disease COVID-19 in the China and subsequent intermittent spread of infection to other countries has alarmed the medical and scientific community mainly because of lethal nature of this infection. Being a new virus in the category, the immediate emergency therapy is not available for the treatment of this disease, leading to widespread fear of infection and has created social issues for infected peoples. Herein, the epidemiology of COVID-19 infection, transmission characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 virus spread, effectiveness of preventive measures, coronavirus family, structural characteristics of virus, current literature advances for the diagnostics development (RT-PCR, CT-Scan, Elisa) and possible drug development based virus life cycle (Entry inhibitors, replication inhibitors, nucleoside, nucleotide, protease inhibitors, heterocyclic drugs, including biological therapeutics (monoclonal antibodies therapy, vaccine development) and herbal formulations have been reviewed. The chemical drug molecules with prospective application in the treatment of COVID-19 have been included in the discussion.