When most people hear the word coronavirus, what immediately comes to mind is the deadly virus that first broke out in Wuhan, China, last year and is now ravaging the world. But there’s actually a reason why people call the coronavirus COVID-19.
COVID-19 is a new coronavirus that mutated from an existing coronavirus called SARS-CoV. COVID-19 simply stands for Corona Virus Disease 2019. The correct term for the newly formed disease is SARS-CoV-2.
Coronaviruses have been known to scientists since the mid-60s. They are the source of many common colds.
Before the outbreak of COVID-19, there were 6 well-known human transmittable coronaviruses.
Viruses qualify as coronaviruses if they display crown-like spikes on their surface.
The most common type of coronavirus in humans are the alpha and beta viruses.
Alpha and beta coronaviruses are made up of four types of viruses: 229E, NL63, OC43, HKU1. None of these viruses have proven untreatable.
The most well-known coronavirus, apart from the infamous COVID-19, is SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV.
SARS-CoV first came about in November 2002.
The virus was unknown at the time and caught health workers off guard when it first broke out in Guangdong province, China.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) ended up infecting 8,098 people in 29 countries, killing 774 by the end of 2003.
Just like COVID-19, SARS-CoV originates from bats and shares similar symptoms like high fever, headache, flu, and dry coughs.
The virus spreads from people to people through physical interaction.
MERS-CoV(Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome) first broke out in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and spread to 27 countries, infecting 2,500 people killing 866. The virus made its second appearance in 2015—this time in South Korea.
People with MERS-CoV show symptoms of high fever, dry coughs, and shortness of breath. To this day, a vaccine hasn’t been developed to prevent the virus.
Unlike other coronaviruses, COVID-19 has proven to be the most aggressive in both spreading and attacking the respiratory system.
So far, more than half a million people have tested positive for the virus and more than 25-thousand have died.
By: Niza Nondo
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