Written by Shea Dockan and Edited by Rasheed Majzoub
Coronavirus is a type of virus that has infected both humans and animals. Human coronavirus infection was first identified in the 1960s and accounts for many upper respiratory infections in children, also known as the “common cold” [1]. The “common cold” is a broad term to describe a number of different infections in the respiratory tract, with coronaviruses being the second leading cause for the symptoms. Coronaviruses, in general, cause upper respiratory tract infections with symptoms that include runny nose, sore throat, headache, fever, and cough, although they may lead to some lower-respiratory tract illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia in those with weak immune systems [2]. Symptoms do vary depending on the particular infection. The SARS-CoV-2 virus causing the 2020 pandemic, has symptoms such as cough, loss of sense of taste and smell, shortness of breath, chills, and muscle pain. More severe symptoms that require immediate medical attention also include, but is not limited to bluish lips and face, consistent pain/pressure in the chest, trouble breathing, and confusion [3].
Coronavirus identification in the 1960’s was a collaborative event, analyzing both human and animal diseases. Through a number of labs, scientists had identified morphological similarities between human bronchitis virus, mouse hepatitis virus, and transmissible gastroenteritis virus in swine. [1]. It was found that the viruses in both humans and animals were structurally the same, indicating a large range of hosts and helped to categorize these viruses under the same group, known later as coronaviruses due to the appearance of a ring around the virus when seen under a microscope.
SARS is one example of a widespread human coronavirus infection from 2002-2003, which has roots in southern China. During the SARS outbreak, there were a total of 8,098 infections in 29 different countries, with 774 SARs-related deaths [1]. This is a much smaller portion of the world population than that of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is currently infecting the world in 2020. During the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s, some of those that were infected were asymptomatic, or did not have significant symptoms related to the infection, which also parallels the current outbreak. Another significant outbreak in 2012 and 2015 was also found in Saudi Arabia, known as Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome or MERS [4]. As of November 2019, there have been a total of 2,494 cases of MERS with 858 associated deaths. Based on data from SARS and MERS, it was expected that SARS-CoV-2 would have an incubation period of about 14 days, during which time individuals would be asymptomatic but still able to spread the disease. As well, these earlier infections predicted these coronavirus infections as highly contagious [5, 6]. Several diseases have been eradicated thanks to vaccinations preemptively producing a defense system in the human body. Production of vaccines do take time to develop, with the average time of development being anywhere between 10-15 years [7]. Currently, there are no coronavirus vaccines. Scientists are currently working on a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, but it is not clear how long it will be until a vaccine is available to the public due to the amount of testing for safety and efficiency, although they are working quickly on production.
References:
- Kahn, J,, McIntosh, K. (2005). History and Recent Advances in Coronavirus Discovery. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal: 24: S223-S227.
- “Common Human Coronaviruses.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 Feb. 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/general-information.html.
- “Symptoms of Coronavirus.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 Mar. 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html.
- “About Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Aug. 2019, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/about/index.html.
- Guo, Y., Cao, Q., Hong, Z., Tan, Y., Chen, S., Jin, H., Tan, K., Wang, D., Yan, Y. (2020). The Origin, Transmission and Clinical Therapies on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak- an Update on the Status. Military Medical Research, 7.
- Omari, A.A. Rabaan, A.A., Salih, S., Al-Tawfiq, J.A., Memish, Z.A. (2019). MERS Coronavirus Outbreak: Implications for Emerging Viral Infections. Diagnostic Microbiology & Infectious Disease, 93:265-285.
- “Vaccine Development, Testing, and Regulation.” History of Vaccines, 17 Jan. 2018, www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/vaccine-development-testing-and-regulation.