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----------Introduction----------
----------Introduction----------
Coronaviruses are the largest (most complex?) RNA viruses ranging from 27.6 kb - 31 kb. They are studded with Spike glycoproteins on their envelope, and derive their name from the "crown-like" appearance these Spike glycoproteins give. The name, Coronavirus, comes from Latin "corona", meaning crown.
Coronaviruses are the largest (most complex?) RNA viruses ranging from 27.6 kb - 31 kb. They are studded with Spike glycoproteins on their envelope, and derive their name from the "crown-like" appearance these Spike glycoproteins give. The name, Coronavirus, comes from Latin "corona", meaning crown.
Coronaviruses generally cause acute, mild to moderate upper respiratory-tract infections, like the common cold. There are hundreds of different Coronaviruses, most of which are found in pigs, camels, bats, and cats. As of now, spillover events from animal to human have given rise to seven known human Coronaviruses; four cause mild to moderate respiratory-tract illnesses and three cause severe, even fatal disease.
Coronaviruses generally cause acute, mild to moderate upper respiratory-tract infections, like the common cold. There are hundreds of different Coronaviruses, most of which are found in pigs, camels, bats, and cats. As of now, spillover events from animal to human have given rise to seven known human Coronaviruses; four cause mild to moderate respiratory-tract illnesses and three cause severe, even fatal disease.
Image Credit: Self-created with PDB's (Protein Data Bank) cellPAINT tool
Significance of Coronavirus Research
Significance of Coronavirus Research
These large RNA viruses were never considered to be highly pathogenic and transmissible among the human population until (1) the outbreak of SARS-CoV, a causative agent of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which emerged in China in November of 2002, followed by (2) the outbreak MERS-CoV a causative agent of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, which emerged in Middle Eastern countries in September of 2012. Then, in November of 2019, COVID-19, a novel Coronavirus disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, emerged in Wuhan, China. This deadly, unprecedented disease is now a pandemic. It is employing various unobserved strategies to infect and manipulate the host's mechanisms, and thus, it is killing millions of people.
These large RNA viruses were never considered to be highly pathogenic and transmissible among the human population until (1) the outbreak of SARS-CoV, a causative agent of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which emerged in China in November of 2002, followed by (2) the outbreak MERS-CoV a causative agent of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, which emerged in Middle Eastern countries in September of 2012. Then, in November of 2019, COVID-19, a novel Coronavirus disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, emerged in Wuhan, China. This deadly, unprecedented disease is now a pandemic. It is employing various unobserved strategies to infect and manipulate the host's mechanisms, and thus, it is killing millions of people.
Coronaviruses are now of great significance to researchers because the sudden change in their pathogenesis and virulence in the past decade is unusual and thought-provoking, indicating that this family of viruses with pandemic potential, is fatal to humanity. Treatments and vaccines to treat Coronaviruses are non-existent because their biological nature is not yet understood.
Coronaviruses are now of great significance to researchers because the sudden change in their pathogenesis and virulence in the past decade is unusual and thought-provoking, indicating that this family of viruses with pandemic potential, is fatal to humanity. Treatments and vaccines to treat Coronaviruses are non-existent because their biological nature is not yet understood.
Sources:
- NCBI. "Coronaviruses," https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/coronaviruses
Other topics:
Link to the review article https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7112330/
Pathogenesis and Transmission
Gene expression
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