Coronavirus

•a class of sphere-shaped viruses that affect mammals and birds

•coronaviruses are responsible for the MERS (2012) and SARS (2002) outbreaks

•they are zoonotic, meaning they originate in animals and are transmitted to humans

•coronaviruses cause respiratory illnesses that can range from a simple cold to a lethal lung infection

SARS-CoV-2

•a new type of coronavirus causing COVID-19 disease

•first infections were traced back to a seafood market in Wuhan, China in December 2019

•genetic analysis of the virus suggests it originated in bats, meaning that bats are the natural reservoir for the disease but there is evidence that pangolins may also be involved in its transmission to humans

•cause of the current global pandemic