NO ONE IS SAFE UNTIL EVERYONE IS; BASICS ABOUT CORONA VIRUS

By: Drousham Nasir Baloch

Coronaviruses (CoV) are large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases like respiratory tract infections that can be mild, as common cold and can be as lethal as MERS – Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and SARS – Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and COVID-19.


Human coronaviruses were first discovered in the late 1960s and named as “coronavirus” which is derived from a Latin word corona, meaning “crown”. The name refers to the characteristic appearance of virions by electron microscopy, which have a fringe of large, bulbous surface projections creating an image reminiscent of a crown. This morphology is created by the viral spike peplomers, which are proteins on the surface of the virus.


Type of Coronaviruses & year of their discovery:

  1. SARS-CoV , 2003
  2. HCoV NL63 , 2004
  3. HKU1 , 2005
  4. MERS-CoV , 2012
  5. COVID19 , 2019

The diameter of the virus particles is around 120 nm and The viral envelope consists of a lipid bilayer where the membrane (M), envelope (E) and spike (S) structural proteins are anchored. A subset of coronaviruses (specifically the members of beta-coronavirus subgroup A) also have a shorter spike-like surface protein called hemagglutinin esterase (HE). Inside the envelope, there is the nucleocapsid, which is formed from multiple copies of the nucleocapsid (N) protein, which are bound to the positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome in a continuous beads-on-a-string type conformation. The genome size for coronaviruses ranges from approximately 27 to 34 kilobases. The lipid bilayer envelope, membrane proteins, and nucleocapsid protect the virus when it is outside the host cell.

Coronaviruses are zoonotic which means they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.

As the WHO declared COVID19 pandemic, it is very important to know the Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, and cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing and social distancing.

From the evidence so far, the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in ALL AREAS, including areas with hot and humid weather. Regardless of climate, adopt protective measures if you live in, or travel to an area reporting COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by frequently cleaning your hands. By doing this you eliminate viruses that may be on your hands and avoid infection that could occur by then touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.

Take preventive measurements, stay at home and protect yourself because no one is safe until everyone is.

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