Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2: Difference between revisions

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'''Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2''' or '''SARS-CoV-2''', commonly known as the ''novel coronavirus 2019'', is the virus that causes the [[Coronavirus disease 19|COVID-19]] infectious respiratory disease.<ref name="WHO-QA" /> SARS-CoV-2 was previously known as ''n-2019-nCoV''.<ref name="WHO-QA">{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses|title=Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19)|last=World Health Organization|first=|authorlink=World Health Organization|last2=|first2=|authorlink2=|date=|website=www.who.int|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2020-03-16}}</ref><ref name="CDC-coronoviruses">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/types.html|title=Human Coronavirus Types|last=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|first=|authorlink=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|last2=|first2=|authorlink2=|date=2020-02-27|website=www.cdc.gov|language=en-us|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2020-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Li|first=Guangdi|author-link=|last2=Clercq|first2=Erik De|author-link2=|last3=|first3=|author-link3=|last4=|first4=|author-link4=|last5=|first5=|author-link5=|last6=|first6=|author-link6=|last7=|first7=|last8=|first8=|date=Mar 2020|title=Therapeutic options for the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41573-020-00016-0|journal=Nature Reviews Drug Discovery|language=en|volume=19|issue=3|pages=149–150|doi=10.1038/d41573-020-00016-0|pmc=|pmid=|access-date=|quote=|via=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/naming-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that-causes-it|title=Naming the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus that causes it|website=www.who.int|language=en|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref>   
'''Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2''' or '''SARS-CoV-2''', commonly known as the ''novel coronavirus 2019'', is the virus that causes the [[Coronavirus disease 19|COVID-19]] infectious respiratory disease.<ref name="WHO-QA" /> SARS-CoV-2 was previously known as ''n-2019-nCoV''.<ref name="WHO-QA">{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses|title=Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19)|last=World Health Organization|first=|authorlink=World Health Organization|last2=|first2=|authorlink2=|date=|website=www.who.int|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2020-03-16}}</ref><ref name="CDC-coronoviruses">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/types.html|title=Human Coronavirus Types|last=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|first=|authorlink=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|last2=|first2=|authorlink2=|date=2020-02-27|website=www.cdc.gov|language=en-us|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2020-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Li|first=Guangdi|author-link=|last2=Clercq|first2=Erik De|author-link2=|last3=|first3=|author-link3=|last4=|first4=|author-link4=|last5=|first5=|author-link5=|last6=|first6=|author-link6=|last7=|first7=|last8=|first8=|date=Mar 2020|title=Therapeutic options for the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41573-020-00016-0|journal=Nature Reviews Drug Discovery|language=en|volume=19|issue=3|pages=149–150|doi=10.1038/d41573-020-00016-0|pmc=|pmid=|access-date=|quote=|via=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/naming-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that-causes-it|title=Naming the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus that causes it|website=www.who.int|language=en|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref>   


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 [[Coronavirus disease 19|COVID-19]] pneumonia.<ref name="WHO-QA" /> SARS-CoV-2 can cause COVID-19 in babies, children, and adults of any age.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wei|first=Min|last2=Yuan|first2=Jingping|last3=Liu|first3=Yu|last4=Fu|first4=Tao|last5=Yu|first5=Xue|last6=Zhang|first6=Zhi-Jiang|date=2020-02-14|title=Novel Coronavirus Infection in Hospitalized Infants Under 1 Year of Age in China|url=https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2761659|journal=JAMA|language=en|doi=10.1001/jama.2020.2131}}</ref> It spread globally, resulting in the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hui|first=David S.|last2=Azhar|first2=Esam I.|last3=Madani|first3=Tariq A.|last4=Ntoumi|first4=Francine|last5=Kock|first5=Richard|last6=Dar|first6=Osman|last7=Ippolito|first7=Giuseppe|last8=Mchugh|first8=Timothy D.|last9=Memish|first9=Ziad A.|date=2020-02-01|title=The continuing 2019-nCoV epidemic threat of novel coronaviruses to global health — The latest 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China|url=https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(20)30011-4/abstract|journal=International Journal of Infectious Diseases|language=English|volume=91|pages=264–266|doi=10.1016/j.ijid.2020.01.009|issn=1201-9712|pmid=31953166}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020|title=WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 11 March 2020|website=www.who.int|language=en|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref>
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 [[Coronavirus disease 19|COVID-19]] pneumonia.<ref name="WHO-QA" /> SARS-CoV-2 can cause COVID-19 in babies, children, and adults of any age.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wei|first=Min|last2=Yuan|first2=Jingping|last3=Liu|first3=Yu|last4=Fu|first4=Tao|last5=Yu|first5=Xue|last6=Zhang|first6=Zhi-Jiang|date=2020-02-14|title=Novel Coronavirus Infection in Hospitalized Infants Under 1 Year of Age in China|url=https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2761659|journal=JAMA|language=en|doi=10.1001/jama.2020.2131}}</ref> It spread globally, resulting in the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hui|first=David S.|last2=Azhar|first2=Esam I.|last3=Madani|first3=Tariq A.|last4=Ntoumi|first4=Francine|last5=Kock|first5=Richard|last6=Dar|first6=Osman|last7=Ippolito|first7=Giuseppe|last8=Mchugh|first8=Timothy D.|last9=Memish|first9=Ziad A.|date=2020-02-01|title=The continuing 2019-nCoV epidemic threat of novel coronaviruses to global health — The latest 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China|url=https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(20)30011-4/abstract|journal=International Journal of Infectious Diseases|language=English|volume=91|pages=264–266|doi=10.1016/j.ijid.2020.01.009|issn=1201-9712|pmid=31953166}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020|title=WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 11 March 2020|website=www.who.int|language=en|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref>{{See also|Coronavirus disease 19|Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)}}<div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">{{See also|Coronavirus disease 19|Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)}}</div>
{{See also|Coronavirus disease 19|Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)}}
{{clear}}


==COVID-19==
==COVID-19==
Some people who become infected with SARS-CoV-2 do not develop COVID-19 illness, but these [[Coronavirus_disease_19#asymptomaticcarriers|asymptomatic carriers]] can transmit it to others.<ref name="WHO-QA" /> Of those who do develop COVID-19, 1 in 6 people need medical help, and the 2019-2020 pandemic has caused a significant number of deaths.<ref name="WHO-QA" /><ref name="WHO-QA-coronavirus">{{Cite web||last=World Health Organization|first=|authorlink=World Health Organization|url=https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses|title=Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19)|website=www.who.int|language=en|access-date=2020-03-24}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html|title=Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – Symptoms|last=CDC|date=2020-03-20||author-link=Centers for Disease Control|website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|language=en-us|access-date=2020-03-24}}</ref>
Some people who become infected with SARS-CoV-2 do not develop COVID-19 illness, but these [[Coronavirus_disease_19#asymptomaticcarriers|asymptomatic carriers]] can transmit it to others.<ref name="WHO-QA" /> Of those who do develop COVID-19, 1 in 6 people need medical help, and the 2019-2020 pandemic has caused a significant number of deaths.<ref name="WHO-QA" /><ref name="WHO-QA-coronavirus">{{Cite web||last=World Health Organization|first=|authorlink=World Health Organization|url=https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses|title=Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19)|website=www.who.int|language=en|access-date=2020-03-24}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html|title=Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – Symptoms|last=CDC|date=2020-03-20||author-link=Centers for Disease Control|website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|language=en-us|access-date=2020-03-24}}</ref><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">{{See also|Coronavirus disease 19|Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)}}</div>
{{See also|Coronavirus disease 19|Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)}}


==How soap and alcohol destroy coronaviruses==
==How soap and alcohol destroy coronaviruses==
[[File:How soap works coronaviruses.png|thumb|left|alt=How Soap Works on Coronaviruses. "When you wash your hands with soap and water, you surround any microorganisms on your skin with soap molecules. The hydrophobic tails of the free-floating soap molecules attempt to evade water; in the process, they wedge themselves into the lipid envelopes of certain microbes and viruses, prying them apart." - Ferris Jabr, New York Times]]<br style="clear:both;height:0;line-height:0" />
Coronaviruses, including the viruses that cause [[Coronavirus disease 19|COVID-19]], [[Severe acute respiratory syndrome|SARS]], [[influenza A virus subtype H1N1|H1N1 flu]] (swine flu), and seasonal [[influenza|flu]], are all protected by an envelope of fat; soap molecules invade the envelope and strong concentrations of [[ethyl alcohol]] or [[isopropyl alcohol]] can strip away parts of the envelope, leading to the inaction of of the viral molecules.<ref name="CDC-disinfection">https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/disinfection-methods/chemical.html</ref><ref name="SoapNYT">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/health/soap-coronavirus-handwashing-germs.html</ref> 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.<ref name="CDC-disinfection" />
[[File:COVID-19_coronavirus_drawing.png|thumb|right|'''SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus: artistic drawing of the structure and cross-section.'''<br>Author:
[https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00245-20 Dietz et al (2020), mSystems 5:e00245-20.]]]
Coronaviruses, including the viruses that cause [[Coronavirus disease 19|COVID-19]], [[Severe acute respiratory syndrome|SARS]], [[influenza A virus subtype H1N1|H1N1 flu]] (swine flu), and seasonal [[influenza|flu]], are all protected by an envelope of fat; soap molecules invade the envelope and strong concentrations of [[ethyl alcohol]] or [[isopropyl alcohol]] can strip away parts of the envelope, leading to the inaction of of the viral molecules.<ref name="CDC-disinfection">https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/disinfection-methods/chemical.html</ref><ref name="SoapNYT">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/health/soap-coronavirus-handwashing-germs.html</ref > 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.<ref name="CDC-disinfection" />
{{clear}}
 
==Comparison with SARS==
==Comparison with SARS==
The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 illness is closely related to SARS-CoV: the coronavirus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.<ref name="genome">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31987001/</ref > The genome of the SARS-COV-2 virus was found to have 82% similarity with the virus that causes SARS.<ref name="genome" />  
The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 illness is closely related to SARS-CoV: the coronavirus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.<ref name="genome">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31987001/</ref> The genome of the SARS-COV-2 virus was found to have 82% similarity with the virus that causes SARS.<ref name="genome" />  


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, health-care settings and nursing homes than in the wider community.<ref name="COVID-19">https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article/27/2/taaa021/5735319</ref><ref name="Wilder2019">https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30129-8/fulltext</ref>
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, health-care settings and nursing homes than in the wider community.<ref name="COVID-19">https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article/27/2/taaa021/5735319</ref><ref name="Wilder2019">https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30129-8/fulltext</ref>

Revision as of 18:42, May 10, 2020

The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes COVID-19.
Author: CDC

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.[1] SARS-CoV-2 was previously known as n-2019-nCoV.[1][2][3][4]

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.[1] SARS-CoV-2 can cause COVID-19 in babies, children, and adults of any age.[5] It spread globally, resulting in the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic.[6][7]

COVID-19[edit | edit source]

Some people who become infected with SARS-CoV-2 do not develop COVID-19 illness, but these asymptomatic carriers can transmit it to others.[1] Of those who do develop COVID-19, 1 in 6 people need medical help, and the 2019-2020 pandemic has caused a significant number of deaths.[1][8][9]

How soap and alcohol destroy coronaviruses[edit | edit source]

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 strong concentrations of ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol can strip away parts of the envelope, leading to the inaction of of the viral molecules.[10][11] 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.[10]

Comparison with SARS[edit | edit source]

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 illness is closely related to SARS-CoV: the coronavirus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.[12] The genome of the SARS-COV-2 virus was found to have 82% similarity with the virus that causes SARS.[12]

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, health-care settings and nursing homes than in the wider community.[13][14]

The resulting COVID-19 illness has a lower risk of death than SARS, but has killed a much higher number of people.[citation needed] Both COVID-19 and SARS are many times more likely to kill than seasonal flu illnesses, which are also coronaviruses.[citation needed]

Notable studies[edit | edit source]

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

Learn more[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 World Health Organization. "Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19)". www.who.int. Retrieved March 16, 2020. Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (February 27, 2020). "Human Coronavirus Types". www.cdc.gov. Retrieved March 16, 2020. Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  3. Li, Guangdi; Clercq, Erik De (March 2020). "Therapeutic options for the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)". Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. 19 (3): 149–150. doi:10.1038/d41573-020-00016-0.
  4. "Naming the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus that causes it". www.who.int. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  5. Wei, Min; Yuan, Jingping; Liu, Yu; Fu, Tao; Yu, Xue; Zhang, Zhi-Jiang (February 14, 2020). "Novel Coronavirus Infection in Hospitalized Infants Under 1 Year of Age in China". JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.2131.
  6. Hui, David S.; Azhar, Esam I.; Madani, Tariq A.; Ntoumi, Francine; Kock, Richard; Dar, Osman; Ippolito, Giuseppe; Mchugh, Timothy D.; Memish, Ziad A. (February 1, 2020). "The continuing 2019-nCoV epidemic threat of novel coronaviruses to global health — The latest 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China". International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 91: 264–266. doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2020.01.009. ISSN 1201-9712. PMID 31953166.
  7. "WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 11 March 2020". www.who.int. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  8. World Health Organization. "Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19)". www.who.int. Retrieved March 24, 2020. Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  9. CDC (March 20, 2020). "Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – Symptoms". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 24, 2020. Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  10. 10.0 10.1 https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/disinfection-methods/chemical.html
  11. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/health/soap-coronavirus-handwashing-germs.html
  12. 12.0 12.1 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31987001/
  13. https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article/27/2/taaa021/5735319
  14. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30129-8/fulltext