 The article aims to identify and summarize existing evidence on epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and the effectiveness of control measures, and provide directions for future research. It conducted a systematic review of 41 articles generated from an initial search on PubMed and Preprint Archives on February 21, 2020, and found that it takes about three to seven days for the epidemic to double in size, with an incubation period of four to six days and a serial interval of four to eight days. The article also highlights the urgent need for rigorous research on mitigation efforts to minimize the impact on society. This article was authored by Mina Park, Alex R. Cook, Ju Tao Lim, and others.