COVID-19 in Panama and the Word: A Literature Review

Abstract

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and it is currently a pandemic in scope. Its pathophysiology, geographic distribution and clinical characteristics are object of continuous analysis, with promising and influential results, but difficult to gather and synthesize considering the numerous sources of information and the dynamism of the epidemiological curve of this pandemic.

Objective: This review aims to synthesize the current literature on the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to establish the consensus from available national and international publications, so that it serves as a reliable source of published evidence, both transparently and concisely.

Design: Scientific articles published between December 2019 and March 2020 were used, which were selected based on their relevance, validity and content quality, and were obtained through scientific journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, The Lancet and the British Medical Journal, in addition to the information provided by institutions recognized worldwide, such as the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Conclusions: Current information on the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is continually being renewed and is expected to continue to do so for the coming months. Staying updated is difficult, so we trust that this review will be useful for different healthcare providers.