Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2, commonly known as the novel coronavirus 2019, is the virus that causes the COVID-19 infectious respiratory disease. SARS-CoV-2 was previously known as n-2019-nCoV.

SARS-CoV-2 was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, as a result of investigations into a group of patients with the newly discovered COVID-19 pneumonia. SARS-CoV-2 can cause COVID-19 in babies, children, and adults of any age. It spread globally, and the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

COVID-19
Some people who become infected with SARS-CoV-2 do not develop COVID-19 illness, but these asymptomatic carriers can transmit it to others. Of those who do develop COVID-19, 1 in 6 people need medical help, and the 2019-2021 pandemic has caused a significant number of deaths.

How soap and alcohol destroy coronaviruses
Coronaviruses, including the viruses that cause COVID-19, SARS, H1N1 flu (swine flu), and seasonal flu, are all protected by an envelope of fat; soap molecules invade the envelope and disrupt its integrity. High concentrations of ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol can strip away parts of the envelope, leading to the inaction of of the viral molecules. Isopropyl alcohol works against all viruses enveloped in fat, and ethyl alcohol additionally works against some non-enveloped viruses such as rotaviruses, when used at the correct concentrations.

Comparison with SARS and influenza
The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 illness is closely related to SARS-CoV: the coronavirus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The genome of the SARS-COV-2 virus was found to have 82% similarity with the virus that causes SARS.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus appears to be significantly more contagious than the SARS-CoV virus that causes SARS, and spreads significantly in the community, unlike SARS-CoV which spread more in hospitals, healthcare settings and nursing homes than in the wider community.

The resulting COVID-19 illness has a lower risk of death than SARS, but has killed a much higher number of people. Both COVID-19 and SARS are many times more likely to kill than seasonal flu illnesses. COVID-19 also has a much longer incubation period than the flu, so people may infect others before they are aware they are ill.

Notable studies

 * 2020, Structural basis of receptor recognition by SARS-CoV-2 - (Full text)

Learn more

 * Coronavirus (COVID-19) - CDC
 * Coronavirus - World Health Organization
 * Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic - World Health Organization
 * Coronavirus (COVID-19) - NHS