Coronavirus disease 2019 and its vaccines: An update

Jeddy, Nadeem; Lakshmi, Sai L J

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by coronavirus. Most of the people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild-to-moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people and those with underlying medical problems are more likely to develop serious illness. In December 2019, a novel coronavirus designated as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus 2 emerged in the city of Wuhan, China, and caused an outbreak of unusual viral pneumonia. Being highly transmissible, this novel coronavirus disease, also known as COVID-19, has spread fast all over the world. It has overwhelmingly surpassed SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome in terms of both the number of infected people and the epidemic areas. Currently, there is no definite treatment for COVID-19 although some drugs are under investigation. Infections caused by these viruses are an enormous global health threat. Hence, the government has established fast-tracking research to develop rapid diagnostic test kits and vaccines at low cost. This review highlights the vaccines available against COVID 19 worldwide and its implications.