Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

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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