What are coronaviruses?
Q: What are coronaviruses?
A: Coronaviruses are a group of RNA viruses that cause diseases in birds and mammals, including humans. These diseases can range from mild to fatal.
Q: What type of illnesses do coronaviruses cause in humans?
A: In humans, coronaviruses typically cause respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold. More severe varieties can also cause SARS, MERS, and COVID-19.
Q: How large is the genome size of coronaviruses?
A: The genome size of coronaviruses is about 26 to 32 kilobases, which is extraordinarily large for an RNA virus.
Q: How many major groups of coronaviruses are there?
A: There are four major groups of coronviruses called alpha, beta, gamma and delta.
Q: What kind of virus causes COVID-19 in humans?
A: The virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in humans is one of the betas.
Q: Where does the name "coronavirus" come from? A: The name "coronavirus" comes from the Latin word corona meaning "crown" or "halo", and refers to how virions look under an electron microscopy (E.M.). They have a fringe of large bulbous surface projections looking like a crown.
Q: What proteins make up a coronavirus?
A: Proteins that make up a coronovirus include spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M) and nucleocapsid (N).
