Section 1 – Typical Case
Research the characteristics of a typical case associated with the pathogen you have chosen to analyze.

Coronaviruses represent a family of single-stranded, enveloped, positive-strand, Nidovirales RNA viruses. The family encompasses human pathogens and pathogens of several animal species, such as the latest-isolated SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus) (Weiss & Navas-Martin, 2005). COVID-19 or coronavirus disease 2019 surfaced for the first time towards the end of 2019 and, ever since, has affected over two-hundred nations. In a matter of a mere five months, over 4,890,000 individuals worldwide were diagnosed with the illness. Over 100,000 individuals tested positive for the disease within a single day (Yang, Li, Sun, Zhao, & Tang, 2019). 

The first patient to contract the disease was a Chinese man aged 31 years, hailing from Wuhan, hospitalized at the Parisian Bichat-Claude Bernard University Hospital while on holiday in Paris, France, with his wife. He tested positive for COVID-19 on January 24, 2020, on the sixth day of his illness and five days following his first entry into Paris. Before commencing his vacation, he had visited a Wuhan hospital on January 16 for gout treatment (Xavier, et al., 2020).

Describe the chief complaints from the individual experiencing the disease, including signature signs and any other important findings.

Right from the outset, the patient exhibited influenza-like signs and was hospitalized upon being diagnosed with thrombopenia, mild lymphopenia, and an absence of any abnormalities on his chest x-ray (Xavier, et al., 2020). However, ten days after contracting the disease, his aggravating oxygen saturation (PO2=58 mm Hg; flow nasal cannula 4 L/min), coupled with bilateral lung abnormalities such as ground-glass opacities, alveolar opacities, and reticulo-nodular syndrome (discovered from chest CT scans), caused him to be shifted to intensive care. The following day, a loading remdesivir dose was administered, as well as maintenance treatment subsequently. On January 31, he was sent back from intensive care. Two weeks following disease contraction, he was no longer being administered remdesivir due to a maculopapular rash and elevation in alanine aminotransferase levels (thrice the normal threshold level), without eosinophilia, anaphylaxis, or systemic indications. Screening for cytomegalovirus, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, herpes simplex, and Epstein-Barr viruses revealed no active infections. Within 72 hours, his liver and skin abnormalities decreased and, another 24 hours later, he was declared asymptomatic. He was dehospitalized on February 12 (Xavier, et al., 2020).

Describe the typical progression of the disease.

Acute COVID-19's chief complication is ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), manifesting as acute respiratory failure and dyspnea, which calls for mechanical ventilation. Besides respiratory sequelae, acute COVID-19 is associated with arrhythmias, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, myocardial injury, other cardiovascular sequelae, encephalopathy, acute ischemic stroke, and other neurological complications, and severe kidney injury, which typically needs renal replacement treatment (ECDPC, 2020).

Section 2 – Pathogen (i.e., the infectious agent)

Research the characteristics of the pathogen.

An observational analysis of a sample of 1420 individuals diagnosed with mild to moderate COVID-19 reveals the following most widely-reported signs of illness: headache (in 70.3 percent of patients), impaired sense of smell (70.2 percent), nasal obstruction (67.8 percent), asthenia (63.3 percent), cough (63.2 percent), myalgia (62.5 percent), rhinorrhoea (60.1 percent), gustatory dysfunction (54.2 percent), sore throat (52.9 percent), and fever (45.4 percent) (ECDPC, 2020).

Identify and describe the pathogen's classification (i.e., bacteria, virus, fungi, etc.).

The microorganism responsible for COVID-19 is a virus labeled as SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2); the novel pandemic was termed COVID-19 or Coronavirus Disease 19 by the WHO (World Health Organization) (Ouassou, et al., 2020). 

Indicate any specific identifying characteristics

From electron microscopy, SARS-CoV-2's coronavirus-specific morphology is...
Serological tests prove helpful in cases where molecular techniques fail. Antibody identification forms the key basis for lab-based serological tests. The absence of available and swift antigen testing kits and molecular instruments at the time of initial SARS-CoV-2 identification meant serology was supplemented as a diagnostic instrument (Asrani, et al., 2020).

Control and Treatment

No specific vaccine or treatment exists for COVID-2019; every medication option is based on influenza, SARS, MERS, or HIV treatment experiences. Experts are currently concentrating on developing specific antiviral medication or vaccines to combat it (Ouassou, et al., 2020).

Describe the typical methods that are used to combat this disease.

Concerning additional patient precautions, it is required that patients be separately quarantined, with all individuals in contact with them, whether kith or kin or other visitors, being quarantined as well, and social distancing being maintained at the time of contact. Further, patients ought to cover their nose and mouth while sneezing, with the aid of tissue or masks, and those suspected of infection ought to use medical masks within closed and public places. Lastly, patients are required to sanitize their hands using water and soap or an alcohol-based hand rub every time they sneeze (Ouassou, et al., 2020).

Explain the typical outcomes expected from treatment and indicate whether the disease can be cured.

Following a SARS-Cov2 diagnosis, quarantine and prevention are regarded as the best option for hindering the disease's swift spread, as an effective antiviral, vaccine, or medication is yet to be discovered for disease prevention and treatment, despite considerable efforts on the part of researchers and scientists worldwide to produce treatments or vaccines for the ailment. Moreover, numerous strategies were adopted for aiding COVID-19-diagnosed patients, including major oxygen therapy and antivirals (Remdesivir Lopinavir, Ribavirin, Ritonavir, Favipiravir (T-705), Chloroquine, Interferon, and Oseltamivir) (Ouassou, et al., 2020).…