CORONA VIRUS

Fight the virus, not the

people!
 OVERVIEW
1. Background
2. Classification
3. Sudden Outbreak
4. Structure
5. Behaviour
6. Different types of strains
7. Symptoms
8. Precautions
9. Cure
 BACKGROUND
• Scientists first identified a human coronavirus in 1965. It caused a common cold. Later that
decade, researchers found a group of similar human and animal viruses and named them after
their crown-like appearance.
• Seven coronaviruses can infect humans. The one that causes SARS emerged in southern China in
2002 and quickly spread to 28 other countries. More than 8,000 people were infected by July
2003, and 774 died. A small outbreak in 2004 involved only four more cases. This coronavirus
causes fever, headache, and respiratory problems such as cough and shortness of breath.
• MERS started in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Almost all of the nearly 2,500 cases have been in people
who live in or travel to the Middle East. This coronavirus is less contagious than its SARS cousin
but more deadly, killing 858 people. It has the same respiratory symptoms but can also cause
kidney failure.
• SARS-CoV-2 originated in bats and that’s also how the coronaviruses behind Middle East
respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) got started.
• SARS-CoV-2 made the jump to humans at one of Wuhan’s open-air “wet markets” and as 
SARS-CoV-2 spread both inside and outside China, it infected people who have had no direct
contact with animals. That meant the virus is transmitted from one human to another. It’s now
spreading in the U.S. and around the globe, meaning that people are unwittingly catching and
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 SUDDEN OUTBREAK
• The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an
infected person coughs, sneezes, or exhales. These droplets are too heavy to hang in the
air, and quickly fall on floors or surfaces. A person can be infected by breathing in the virus
if in close proximity of someone who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated
surface and then your eyes, nose or mouth. The increase in the cases worldwide in the
year 2020 is shown below.
 STRUCTURE
• The coronavirus spike is believed to be a member of the class I viral
membrane fusion proteins that also include those from influenza virus,
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and Ebola virus. Among these
proteins, the hemagglutinin glycoprotein (HA) of the influenza virus is
arguably the best studied. HA is expressed as a single-chain precursor.
During molecular maturation, it trimerizes and is cleaved by host
proteases into receptor-binding subunit HA1 and membrane-fusion
subunit HA2, which still associate together through noncovalent
interactions. 
• Coronaviruses use an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) complex
for replication of their genome and transcription of their genes 
• Pathophysiology and virulence mechanisms of CoVs, and therefore also of
SARS-CoV-2 have links to the function of the NSPS and structural proteins.
For instance, research underlined that NSP is able to block the host innate
immune response.
 BEHAVIOUR
• For a long time, coronaviruses have been known to cause respiratory diseases and gastroenteritis. Greater attention
was given to this family of viruses when the SARS-CoV moved into human hosts beginning in 2002 and inflicted
1091 deaths. During the outbreak of SARS-CoV, questions regarding its modes of transmission were raised.
Greater understanding of the peculiarities of the transmission mode(s) would have enabled better decisions to
control the spread of this ominous virus. However, as of today, complete understanding of the molecular
mechanisms determining the transmission behavior of the virus remains elusive. For example, there is no
satisfactory explanation for the observation that many of those infected with SARS-CoV did not have any contact
with the infected individuals.
• While SARS-CoV had been observed to spread among human most easily by respiratory means, the SARS-CoV
was also observed to be not as infectious as Influenza. It is likely that SARS-CoV, like most animal coronaviruses,
spreads most efficiently by contact or by oral-fecal routes among animals.
• Several human coronaviruses (HCoV) such as 229E, OC43, HKU1, and NL63 have been known for some time,
with HCoV-229E being the most studied HCoV. Comparison between the spread mechanisms of HCoV and
animal coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV has been made. Using HCoV-229E as a representative virus, it has been
shown that HCoV tends to spread more efficiently by a respiratory route, whereas the animal CoVs tend to spread
most efficiently by direct contact. Furthermore, gastroenteritis is a common disease provoked by coronaviruses,
and oral-fecal route is also common mode of transmission, especially among animal hosts. Therefore, in contrast
to human, contact and oral-fecal routes are generally the most efficient mode of CoV spread in animals.
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF STRAINS
• Scientists have divided coronaviruses into four sub-groupings, called alpha, beta, gamma, and delta.
• SARS-CoV causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). According to the World Health Organization, the first
human cases appeared in southern China in November 2002. SARS-CoV may have originated in bats and were
transmitted to other animals before infecting humans.
• MERS-CoV causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). According to WHO, it emerged in September 2012 in
Saudi Arabia, although initial cases were later traced back to Jordan. Humans contract MERS-CoV through contact with
camels that have contracted the infection. The virus is also transmitted by coming into very close contact with a person
who has the infection.
• SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19. This new coronavirus appeared in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019 after health
officials noticed an increase in pneumonia cases with no known cause.
• These cases have since been linked to a market selling seafood and poultry. Though the virus likely evolved from an
animal source, its exact source is unknown.
• If a virus has a random change that makes it easier to infect people and it spreads, that strain will become more
common.
• Recently, the new SARS-CoV-2 variant was revealed to be the reason behind the rapid surge in Covid-19 cases in South
and East England.
Most common symptoms:
SYMPTOMS
• fever
• dry cough
• tiredness

Less common symptoms:

• aches and pains
• sore throat
• diarrhea
• conjunctivitis
• headache
• loss of taste or smell
• a rash on skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes

Serious symptoms:
• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• chest pain or pressure
• loss of speech or movement
 PRECAUTIONS
• Clean your hands often. Use soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Maintain a safe distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
• Wear a mask when physical distancing is not possible.
• Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough
or sneeze.
• Stay home if you feel unwell.
• If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention.
 TREATMENT
Self-care
• If you feel sick you should rest, drink plenty of fluid, and eat nutritious food. Stay in a
separate room from other family members, and use a dedicated bathroom if possible. Clean
and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
• Everyone should keep a healthy lifestyle at home. Maintain a healthy diet, sleep, stay active,
and make social contact with loved ones through the phone or internet. Children need extra
love and attention from adults during difficult times. Keep to regular routines and schedules
as much as possible.
Since the trials for vaccine are still underact till then complete
precautions must be taken.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Wikipedia.in
• Webmd.com
• Hindawi.in
• Pinterest
• Healthline.com
By Lavya Madaan Class-XI-A Biology Roll No.- 17