Current Molecular Medicine is an interdisciplinary journal focused on providing the readership with current and comprehensive reviews/ mini-reviews, original research articles, short communications/letters and drug clinical trial studies on fundamental molecular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis, the development of molecular-diagnosis and/or novel approaches to rational treatment. The reviews should be of significant interest to basic researchers and clinical investigators in molecular medicine. Periodically the journal invites guest editors to devote an issue on a basic research area that shows promise to advance our understanding of the molecular mechanism(s) of a disease or has potential for clinical applications.
:A highly infectious and life-threatening virus was first reported in Wuhan,
China, in late 2019, and it rapidly spread all over the world. This novel virus belongs to
the coronavirus family and is associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome
(SARS), causing respiratory disease known as COVID-19. In March 2020, WHO has
declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. Its morbidity and mortality rates are
swiftly rising day by day, with the situation becoming more severe and fatal for the comorbid
population. Many COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic, but they silently spread
the infection. There is a need for proper screening of infected patients to prevent the
epidemic transmission of disease and for early curative interventions to reduce the risk
of developing severe complications from COVID-19. To date, the diagnostic assays are
of two categories, molecular detection of viral genetic material by real-time RTpolymerase
chain reaction and serological test, which relies on detecting antiviral
antibodies. Unfortunately, there are no effective prophylactics and therapeutics available
against COVID-19. However, a few drugs have shown promising antiviral activity against
it, and these presently are being referred for clinical trials, albeit FDA has issued an
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the emergency use of a few drugs for SARSCoV-
2 infection. This review provides an insight into current progress, challenges and
future prospects of laboratory detection methods of COVID-19, and highlights the clinical
stage of the major evidence-based drugs/vaccines recommended against the novel
SARS-CoV-2 pandemic virus.