Severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in critical care

Abstract

The world recalls with great sadness the last pandemic which resulted in more than 50 million deaths worldwide [[1], [2], [3]]. The influenza A H1N1 infection known as “Spanish flu” is estimated to have affected more than 500 million people. Once again, the planet is facing a viral infection of enormous proportions. In December 2019, in Wuhan, China, SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) was detected, affecting 80,000 people in that country and expected to affect millions around the world [4]. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the need to implement early detection strategies for the infection, fostering isolation measures for confirmed cases, and strengthening healthcare systems for a quick and timely treatment of the most severe cases [5]. As this infection develops, 205 countries worldwide have reported positive cases, with mortality rates ranging from 4% to 11%, especially in the adult population [6,7]. In this review, we seek to describe the most important aspects of this severe infection, attempting to condense them in a single document, which will allow the reader to have a global view of the problem.