Consequences and resistance of viruses
Viruses that cause respiratory infections:
Viruses that cause respiratory infections are those that invade and proliferate in the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract. The most well-known viruses that affect the respiratory tract are:
- Influenza viruses belong to the Orthomyxoviridae family. They are RNA viruses that include four genera: A, B, C, and Thogotovirus. Influenza A and B viruses cause epidemics, while influenza C virus causes infections with less severe symptoms.
- Viruses in the Paramyxoviridae family include: paramyxoviruses, respiratory syncytial virus, measles virus, mumps virus, Hendra virus, Nipah virus, and human metapneumovirus.
- The rubella virus of the Togaviride family
- The rhinovirus of the Picornavirida family
- Coronaviruses of the Coronaviridae family cause several diseases, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or COVID-19.
Other viruses such as Coxsackie virus, the ECHO virus family, adenoviruses, reoviruses, herpes virus, among others can cause various diseases, including respiratory infections.
How long do coronaviruses survive in the environment?
Because there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment for COVID-19, the main strategy is prevention. Several studies indicate that COVID-19 can survive on inanimate surfaces at room temperature for up to 9 days. At temperatures above 30 ° C (86 ° F), the virus's persistence may be shorter. Animal coronaviruses have also been shown to persist for even more than 28 days.