The History of Coronavirus
This post was written with Consensus AI Academic Search Engine. The history of coronaviruses highlights the ongoing threat posed by these viruses and the importance of global preparedness and rapid response. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and the subsequent COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the need for continued research and development of effective vaccines and treatments to combat these and future viral threats.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses known to cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recent addition to this family, SARS-CoV-2, has led to the global pandemic known as COVID-19. This article explores the history of coronaviruses, focusing on their discovery, evolution, and the impact of SARS-CoV-2.
Early Discoveries
Coronaviruses were first identified in the 1960s. They were named for the crown-like spikes on their surface, “corona” being the Latin word for crown. Initially, these viruses were known to infect animals, but some strains were found to infect humans, causing mild respiratory infections.
Emergence of Severe Coronaviruses
The first significant outbreak of a severe coronavirus was the SARS epidemic in 2002-2003, caused by SARS-CoV. This virus originated in bats and was transmitted to humans via civet cats. SARS-CoV infected over 8,000 people worldwide, with a mortality rate of around 10%.
In 2012, another severe coronavirus, MERS-CoV, emerged in the Middle East. This virus also originated in bats and was transmitted to humans through dromedary camels. MERS-CoV has infected over 2,500 people, with a mortality rate of approximately 35%.
The COVID-19 Pandemic
In December 2019, a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, was identified in Wuhan, China. This virus rapidly spread worldwide, leading to the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 20203. SARS-CoV-2 is highly transmissible and has caused millions of infections and deaths globally.
Vaccine Development
The urgent need for a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 led to unprecedented global collaboration and rapid development of several vaccine candidates. One such vaccine is BNT162b1, an mRNA vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer. Clinical trials have shown that this vaccine is safe, well-tolerated, and induces a strong immune response3.
Another vaccine, CoronaVac, developed by Sinovac, is an inactivated whole-virion SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Phase 3 trials in Turkey demonstrated that CoronaVac has high efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 and a good safety profile1.