Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a newly discovered coronavirus responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 has rapidly become a public health emergency of international concern. Although remarkable scientific achievements have been reached since the beginning of the pandemic, the knowledge behind this novel coronavirus, in terms of molecular and pathogenic characteristics and zoonotic potential, is still relatively limited. Today, there is a vaccine, or rather several vaccines, which, for the first time in the history of highly contagious infectious diseases that have plagued mankind, has been manufactured in just one year. Currently, four vaccines are licensed by regulatory agencies, and they use RNA or viral vector technologies. The positive effects of the vaccination campaign are being felt in many parts of the world, but the disappearance of this new infection is still far from being a reality, as it is also threatened by the presence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants that could undermine the effectiveness of the vaccine, hampering the immunization control efforts. Indeed, the current findings indicate that SARS-CoV-2 is adapting to transmission in humans more efficiently, while further divergence from the initial archetype should be considered. In this review, we aimed to provide a collection of the current knowledge regarding the molecular, phylogenetic, and pathogenetic insights into SARS-CoV-2. The most recent findings obtained with respect to the impact of novel emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants as well as the development and implementation of vaccines are highlighted.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus disease 2019, Coronaviruses, Vaccine, variants, Spike protein, zoonosis, CoV, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, Viral vector, Coronavirus disease 2019, coronavirus, vaccination, pandemic, Infectious diseases, Vaccines, knowledge, Human, SARS-CoV-2 variant, Infection, Transmission, Infectious disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, immunization, Novel coronavirus, RNA, Viral, Characteristics, zoonotic, International, implementation, Effectiveness, public health emergency, molecular, respiratory, Phylogenetic, new infection, acute respiratory syndrome, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, pathogenic, regulatory agencies, disappearance, positive, contagious, REALITY, Effect, initial, responsible, reached, the vaccine, recent finding, 【제목키워드】 current, Potential, New,