Preface

Coronaviruses (CoVs) were first identified in humans in the early 1960s. Depending on their serological and genetic characteristics, they can be classified into four major genera: (1) Alphacoronaviruses (α-CoVs), (2) Betacoronavirsues (β-CoVs), (3) Gammacoronaviruses (γ-CoVs), and (4) Deltacoronaviruses (δ-CoVs). These four groups of CoVs diverged from each other around 240–3000 BC, infecting and circulating in animals depending on their hosts. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) originated from SARS–coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in November 2002 in Foshan municipality, Guangdong Province, China. It spread to at least twenty-nine countries, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Canada, the United Kingdom, United States, and several European countries. Worldwide, SARS-CoV infected more than 8000 people and killed more than 770 people, with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 11% by the end of the epidemic (June 2003). It was also a zoonotic infection and SARS-CoV had been isolated from Himalayan palm civets (Paguma larvata), and evidence of infection has been found in a raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and a Chinese ferret-badger (Melogale moschata). However, it took fourteen years (December 2017) to establish that the major animal reservoir of SARS-CoV is a horseshoe bat (family, Rhinolophidae, genus Rhinolophus). The coronavirus isolated from these bats has the same genetic material as the SARS-CoV that triggered the SARS epidemic in 2002–2003. Of note, phylogenetic analysis and sequence comparisons have shown that SARS-CoV causing SARS did not closely relate to the previously known human and animal CoVs. However, after almost ten years of the SARS epidemic, another epidemic due to CoVs, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) caused by MERS-CoV, originated in Jordan in April 2012. It was first reported in September 2012 in Saudi Arabia and rapidly spread to twenty-seven countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Philippines, South Korea, and Kenya, and killed at least 845 people. MERS is also considered a zoonotic disease. However, we still do not know its exact animal reservoir.

The major emphasis of this book is COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection that originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The CoVs causing all the three major outbreaks belong to the subgroup (Sarbecovirus) of β-CoVs. COVID-19 has become one of the biggest infectious disease pandemics of the 21st century, infecting more than 219 million people and killing 4.55 million people worldwide as of October 8, 2021. Over seven sections and seventeen chapters, this book comprehensively reviews COVID-19, including information on the virus that causes it, pathogenesis, impact on human health and socioeconomics, and much more.

Chapter 1, "Learning from Bats to Escape from Potent or Severe Viral Infections," discusses the different bat species and their immunological adaptations preventing them from becoming severely infected by potential viral pathogens, including CoVs, but making them a potential source of infection transmission. This chapter adds to the understanding of bat immunological adaptations to maintain the virus at harmless levels. We can develop novel immunomodulatory therapeutics for humans through a deeper understanding of bat immunity and translating those findings into humans.

Chapter 2, "Epidemiology, Zoonotic and Reverse Zoonotic Potential of COVID-19", examines potential roadmaps to prevent future outbreaks of COVID-19 through the tools of epidemiological studies, the transmission of the disease, and public health safety measures.

Chapter 14, "Psychosocial Effects and Public Health Challenges of COVID-19 Pandemic in India", investigates the psychosocial effect of COVID-19 on the popula-

Chapter 15, "Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Burnout in Frontline Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic in Russia", assesses the impact of COVID-19

Chapter 16, "The Role of Architecture and Urbanism in Preventing Pandemics", discusses the importance of architecture and urbanism in preventing future

Finally, Chapter 17, "Why a Bioethical Approach is Needed in Addressing Health Risks Stemming from Pandemics Due to Zoonoses Linked to Human Impact on Biodiversity?", presents bioethical approaches to deal with pandemics/epidemics arising through zoonosis as human invasion/impact on the natural habitats of different wild animals invites the emergence of infectious diseases, including HIV-1 infection (AIDS), Ebola virus infection and the current COVID-19 pandemic.

**Vijay Kumar**

College of Pharmacy,

Memphis, TN, USA

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences,

University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC),

tion of India and the challenges faced by its public health sector.

on the life of frontline healthcare workers in Russia.

pandemics.

Chapter 3, "Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Origin, Impact, and Drug Development", discusses the origin of COVID-19 and its relations with SARS and MERS along with the availability of current treatment approaches and drug repurposing.

Chapter 4, "Utilization from Computational Methods and Omics Data for Antiviral Drug Discovery to Control of SARS-CoV-2", discusses the design of potent antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2 to protect against COVID-19 utilizing computational methods and omics studies.

Chapter 5, "Organoid Technology and the COVID Pandemic", discusses the recently developed organoid technology to study COVID-19 pathogenesis and drug targeting.

Chapter 6, "Chest Imaging in Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19)", discusses the role of chest imaging techniques for diagnosis and effective management of thoracic complications, which are one of the primary complications of COVID-19 patients.

Chapter 7, "COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Disease: Mechanisms and Implications", discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the cardiovascular system, its mechanisms, and implications to prevent further damage.

Chapter 8, "Management of Covid-19 Disease in Pediatric Oncology Patients", discusses the management of COVID-19 in pediatric cancer patients. Although children typically experience a mild course of COVID-19, children with cancer experience more severe disease.

Chapter 9, "Economic, Health-Care and Teaching-Learning Impact of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) on Dentistry", talks about the impact of COVID-19 on all aspects of dental medicine practice, including economics, healthcare, and teaching-learning.

Chapter 10, "COVID-19, Telehealth and Access to Care", discusses the emergence of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic and its limitations for older patients who may be naïve or less fluent in using information technology and apps.

Chapter 11, "Mobile Clinics in the United States and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Response Strategy Model", discusses the emergence of mobile clinics in the United States and their role in dealing with COVID-19.

Chapter 12, "Practice Changing Innovations for Emergency Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Resource Limited Settings", discusses the COVID-19 pandemic in resource-limited countries and how these countries prepare different medical equipment and PPE kits to combat the virus.

Chapter 13, "Origin and Impact of COVID-19 on Socioeconomic Status," considers the impact of COVID-19 on the socioeconomic status of people around the world.

Chapter 14, "Psychosocial Effects and Public Health Challenges of COVID-19 Pandemic in India", investigates the psychosocial effect of COVID-19 on the population of India and the challenges faced by its public health sector.

Chapter 15, "Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Burnout in Frontline Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic in Russia", assesses the impact of COVID-19 on the life of frontline healthcare workers in Russia.

Chapter 16, "The Role of Architecture and Urbanism in Preventing Pandemics", discusses the importance of architecture and urbanism in preventing future pandemics.

Finally, Chapter 17, "Why a Bioethical Approach is Needed in Addressing Health Risks Stemming from Pandemics Due to Zoonoses Linked to Human Impact on Biodiversity?", presents bioethical approaches to deal with pandemics/epidemics arising through zoonosis as human invasion/impact on the natural habitats of different wild animals invites the emergence of infectious diseases, including HIV-1 infection (AIDS), Ebola virus infection and the current COVID-19 pandemic.

> **Vijay Kumar** Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), Memphis, TN, USA
