Coronaviruses: An Overview, Including COVID-19, SARS, and MERS
The world has witnessed three significant coronavirus outbreaks in recent history: COVID-19, SARS, and MERS. Each of these diseases, caused by different coronaviruses, has affected millions of people and claimed countless lives.
COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus that emerged at the end of 2019 in Wuhan, China. Unlike SARS and MERS, COVID-19 has spread worldwide, causing a global pandemic due to its high transmissibility. The primary mode of transmission is through respiratory droplets, aerosols, and contact with contaminated surfaces.
Symptoms of COVID-19 range from mild to severe respiratory illness, often including fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. However, it's important to note that systemic inequalities in healthcare have increased the risk of illness and death for people in marginalized racial and ethnic groups.
The mortality rate of SARS-CoV-2 varies from country to country, with a rate of around 1.7% in the United States. People with a higher risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms include older adults and those with underlying medical conditions. Vaccines can help prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2.
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is caused by SARS-CoV, which emerged in 2002. SARS originated in China and led to a global outbreak with a high fatality rate but was contained relatively quickly. Like COVID-19, SARS primarily spreads through respiratory droplets and close contact. As SARS progresses, it can lead to failure of the lungs, liver, or heart.
MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) is caused by MERS-CoV, first identified in 2012 in the Middle East. MERS has mostly occurred in the Arabian Peninsula, with sporadic cases spreading to other countries but limited human-to-human transmission. MERS can cause pneumonia and kidney failure.
The table below summarises the differences between COVID-19, SARS, and MERS:
| Aspect | COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) | SARS (SARS-CoV) | MERS (MERS-CoV) | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|-----------------------------------------| | Emergence | 2019, worldwide pandemic | 2002, China | 2012, Middle East | | Transmission | Respiratory droplets, aerosols, contact | Respiratory droplets, close contact | Zoonotic from camels, respiratory fluids; limited human-to-human | | Severity | Mild to severe respiratory illness | Severe respiratory illness | Severe respiratory illness, pneumonia, kidney failure | | Fatality rate | Lower compared to SARS and MERS | Higher than COVID-19 | Highest among the three | | Spread | Global | Epidemic controlled quickly | Mostly Middle East, some exported cases|
In conclusion, while all three diseases are caused by coronaviruses and have respiratory transmission, their geographic origin, transmission efficiency, and fatality rates differ significantly. Preventing transmission of coronaviruses includes wearing a face covering in public, avoiding touching the face, always coughing or sneezing into a tissue, regularly and thoroughly washing hands, staying home whenever possible, avoiding contact with others, and staying at least 6 feet away from others in public.
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html [2] World Health Organization. (2021). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 [3] World Health Organization. (2020). Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/mers-cov [4] National Institutes of Health. (2021). MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome). https://www.nih.gov/health-information/diseases-conditions/mers
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