Khizra Mushtaq Dareka et al., IJSIT, 2020, 9(3), 178-194 IJSIT (www.ijsit.com), Volume 9, Issue 3, May-June 2020 178 A DESCRIPTIVE REVIEW OF NOVEL CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (NCOVID-19), ITS PRESENT STATUS AND FUTURE PROSPECT Farhan Khan 1 , Khizra Mushtaq Dareka 2* , Shahid Mushtaq Sherafgan 3 and Rajan Vaidya 4 1 Department of Gastroenterology, the First Affiliated Peoples Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, P. R. China. 2, 3 Tehsil Headquarter Hospital, Arifwala, District Pakpattan, Punjab, Pakistan. 4 Department of Cardiology, Southeast University Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210096, P.R. China. ABSTRACT An outbreak of novel Coronavirus Disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2), causing severe acute respiratory syndrome occurred in late 2019, which expanded globally from Wuhan city of Hubei Province, P.R. China. By March 11th, 2020 when the number of countries involved was 114, with more than 118,000 cases and over 4000 deaths, the WHO declared the pandemic status. This descriptive review aims to presents accredited and the most current studies pertaining to the basic sciences of SARS-CoV-2, epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation and disease course, diagnosis, management, public health interventions and future prospect of COVID-19. This review aims to clarify the jargon in virology, describe the virion structure of SARS-CoV-2, evaluate the frequency of presentation of various symptoms, evaluate the limitations and statistical strength of the diagnostic tools currently in clinical practice, elucidate the clinical and epidemiological differences between COVID-19 and other infections causing outbreaks (SARS, MERS, H1N1), clarify the criteria on rapid screening, discharge from hospital and discontinuation of self quarantine, explain the involvement of micronutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin D and other novel therapies in COVID19 treatment and prophylaxis along with different prevention strategies. This review will enable clarification and focus on the current status and direction in the planning of the management of this global pandemic. Keywords: Coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic, pathogenesis, screening, preparedness, public health emergency.