What are coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses are RNA viruses belonging to the Coronaviridae family . They are named for the crown-like spikes on the virus's envelope. Most coronaviruses infect animals, but they can evolve into new coronaviruses capable of infecting humans.
Human coronaviruses were first identified in the mid-1960s. Currently, seven coronaviruses are known to infect humans.
- Human coronavirus 229E
- Human coronavirus NL63
- Human coronavirus OC43
- Human coronavirus HKUI
- Coronavirus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV)
- Coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV).
- The new coronavirus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or COVID-19.