Clinical Manifestations and Characterization of COVID-19

Given the relative novelty of COVID-19, much is still undetermined about its effects on different organ systems and the resultant effects on mortality. Although coronavirus primarily manifests as an acute respiratory disease, it can involve other organs, including the kidneys, heart, eyes, ear, nose, throat, skin, gastrointestinal tract, blood, and central nervous system (CNS). Coronavirus penetrates CNS via nerve cells, and it makes damage to the respiratory center, confusion, lethargy, disorientation, loss of senses of smell and taste in most cases, and other manifestations pertinent to brain impairments. Diagnosis of different manifestations of COVID-19 could be crucial as this could help clinicians and researchers better understand the virulence, pathology, and immune responses associated with SARS-CoV-2, and also early diagnosis of the disease in suspected cases leading to the development of effective therapies and treatment plans. Therefore, in this review, we aimed to concisely summarize the different effects of COVID-19, thus emphasizing that the disease can present in various manifestations and the healthcare providers need to be extra vigilant, approaching all cases with a high index of suspicion