Preface

What are coronaviruses? What is SARS-CoV-2? What is its origin? Why did it suddenly appear? How does it cause disease? How do these viruses spread? How can the surrounding environment be decontaminated? How does our body respond and fight back? Who gets complications and why?

How can we diagnose these infections? What are the different diagnostic modalities?

What are the proposed treatment options? When do we treat and who do we treat?

Why are there so many vaccine candidates? Why is there reluctance and hesitancy to vaccination efforts? What are the myths and barriers to vaccines?

What is meant by a "one-health approach" and how does it affect human health?

Over three sections, this book, *Fighting the COVID-19 Pandemic*, tackles these questions and more.

The first section deals with the coronavirus, highlighting its properties and the demographic features of the pandemic. Additionally, it examines how we can target the virus through our immune systems in vivo and through methods of decontamination in vitro.

The second section talks about the different manifestations of the disease in various clinical cohorts including pregnant females, diabetics, and persons with cardiovascular morbidities. It examines the effect of the coronavirus on the nervous system, senses of taste and smell, and mental health. The chapter highlights the association of the virus with multiorgan dysfunction and catastrophic antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.

The third section discusses the role of the medical laboratory in diagnosis, and evaluates diagnostic methods such as the hemogram. Prevention relies on vaccines in addition to precautionary measures against exposure, yet many myths are barriers to vaccination efforts. A decline in institutional trust serves to perpetuate myths and vaccine hesitancy. As such, this section also outlines the role of pharmacotherapeutics and discusses options for home care, with an introduction to the possible role of the "one-health approach" in tackling such situations.

The book represents the current situation. As time goes on and the situation changes and evolves, some of the information presented herein may become obsolete.

> **Manal Mohammad Baddour** Faculty of Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

Section 1
