What is Covid-19 or Coronavirus? Explain in detail

 Covid-19

Coronaviruses or (CoV)  à   Viruses belonging to a large family, causing illness ranging from common cold to more severe diseases.  

 2.  These diseases include: 

  o  Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or (MERS-CoV) and

 o  Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or (SARS-CoV)  

 3.  Novel Coronavirus  or  (nCoV)

   o  A novel Coronavirus or nCoV has been identified as a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans  @ Cross over infection ;

 Animal to Human

 o  An outbreak of unusual respiratory condition was  first  reported in Wuhan, China, due to the infection caused by novel Coronavirus, now known as  COVID-19.   

o  The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses or I.C.T.V.  announced “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, or SARS  -  CoV-2”  as the name of the new virus.   

o  It is genetically associated with the Coronavirus that  is responsible for the SARS outbreak of 2003.  

 o  11th February 2020, the  World Health Organization or W.H.O., announced COVID-19 as the name of this disease and the “COVID-19 virus”  as the virus responsible for this disease.  

 4.  Based upon the transmission rate, the  W.H.O has declared the outbreak of the COVID-19 as a global health emergency.  

 5.  Till now COVID-19 has affected many countries around the world  à  PANDEMIC DISEASE

 6.  Coronaviruses are a family of  POSITIVE SINGLE-STRANDED RNA VIRUS, classified under NIDOVIRALES ORDER.  

 7.  These viruses are enveloped and are round and sometimes pleomorphic of approximately  80 to 120 nanometer in diameter.  

 8.  The virion contains an internal  HELICAL RNA-PROTEIN NUCLEOCAPSID  surrounded by an envelope made up of lipids and viral glycoproteins.   9.  These glycoproteins are spike protein, membrane protein, and small membrane.   

10.  WHY IT IS CROWN SHAPE ?

 o  The spike protein or “S” is a type I glycoprotein that forms the peplomers on the virion surface, giving the virus its corona or crown-like morphology in the electron microscope 

11.  The coronaviruses attach to the cell surfaces through the spike.  

 12.  In  Coronaviruses, an additional  protein hemagglutinin esterase is present whose function, is unknown.   13. The  genome  of  Coronavirus o  ss RNA  (+ve  type) o  All Coronavirus genomes are arranged similarly with replicase locus encoded within 5dash end and the structural proteins encoded in the 3-dash end of the genome.