….. a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, as the causative agent now at the heart of a major outbreak. The rising case numbers have been accompanied by unprecedented public health action globally, alongside this has been a robust scientific response, including early publication of the pathogen genome, and rapid development of highly specific diagnostics. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the world-wide outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic. This document summarizes the most recent knowledge regarding the biology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of COVID-19.