Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak in Algeria: A New Challenge for Prevention

Review Article

J Community Med Health Care. 2020; 5(1): 1035.

Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak in Algeria: A New Challenge for Prevention

Boukhatem MN*

Département de Biologie et Physiologie Cellulaire, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université - Saad Dahlab - Blida 1, Blida, Algeria

*Corresponding author: Mohamed Nadjib BOUKHATEM, Département de Biologie et Physiologie Cellulaire, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université – Saad Dahlab – Blida 1, Blida, Algeria; Email: [email protected]

Received: March 24, 2020; Accepted: March 31, 2020; Published: April 07, 2020

Abstract

In December 2019, the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak started in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in China. Since then it has spread to many other continents and regions, including low-income countries. With the current trajectory of the 2019-nCoV outbreak unknown, medical measures and public health will both be needed to contain spreading of the 2019-nCoV and to improve patient outcomes.

It is imperative to increase attentiveness of tourists and travelers about the dangers and suitable protective recommendations and for health professionals to be attentive and vigilant if a patient with pneumonia or severe respiratory symptoms reports a recent history of travel to the country affected with SARSCoV- 2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2). Preventive measures should be taken by National and local health authorities of the affected countries, including Algeria, in order to increase hospital hygiene and desinfection. Finally, it is fundamental to explore the explanations for people’s poor compliance with recommendations and rules and to take exact measures in order to improve them. The present manuscript reviews current strategies on prevention of 2019-nCoV infection.

Keywords: Novel coronavirus disease; COVID-19; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Viral infection and transmission; Preventive measures; Algeria

Abbreviations

2019-nCoV: Novel Coronavirus; CDC: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; COPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; CoV: Coronavirus; COVID-19: Coronavirus Disease 2019; HCoV: Human Coronavirus; HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus; ICTV: International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses; MERS-CoV: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome- Coronavirus; SARS-CoV-2: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2; TB: Tuberculosis; TCID50: Tissue Culture Infectious Dose; WHO: World Health Organization

Introduction

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious and viral disease caused by a new coronavirus discovered after an outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Coronavirus (CoV) belongs to the Coronaviridae family, Nidovirales order. CoVs are divided into four genera: a-, β-, γ-, and δ-coronavirus. a- and β-coronaviruses only contaminate mammals, whereas γ- and δ-coronaviruses mainly infect birds, with a few infecting mammals. Six human CoV (HCoV) have been detected, comprising four endemic (HCoV-OC43, -229E, -NL63, and -HKU1) and two epidemic (SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV) viruses (Figure 1 and Figure 2) [1,2].