corona

• Coronaviruses Overview

  • Family: Large group with crown-like glycoprotein spikes.
  • Structure: RNA viruses causing respiratory infections in mammals and birds.
  • Species: 45 officially recognized as of 2020.
  • Illnesses: Range from mild (common cold) to severe (SARS, MERS, COVID-19).
• Transmission

  • Zoonotic: Can spread between animals and humans, as well as person-to-person.
  • Spread: Through close contact, droplets from breathing, speaking, coughing, or sneezing.
  • High-risk environments: Indoors and crowded places.
  • Asymptomatic transmission: Possible even without symptoms.
• Replication

  1. Attachment: Virus binds to epithelial cells in the respiratory tract via complementary glycoproteins.
  2. Entry: Releases RNA genome into the host cell's cytoplasm.
  3. Translation: RNA acts as messenger RNA, using the host’s ribosomes to make new viral particles.
  4. Release: New particles exit the cell via exocytosis and infect other cells.
• Symptoms

  • Common symptoms: Continuous cough, fever, loss of taste/smell, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches.
  • Other symptoms: Sore throat, headache, stuffy/runny nose, diarrhea, nausea.
  • Severity: Ranges from mild to severe; some may be asymptomatic.
  • Severity Indicator: Case Fatality Rate (CFR) measures deaths as a percentage of cases (e.g., COVID-19 CFR ~2%).
• CASE FATALITY RATIO:

  number of deaths by diseases/ number of death from disease + number of recovered from disease x100
• Treatment

  • Vaccinations: Preventive measure.
  • Antiviral medicines: Target virus replication.
  • Monoclonal antibodies (nMAb): Neutralize the virus.
  • Symptom management: Rehydration treatments, painkillers for fever and pain.