Lesson on Coronaviruses (SARS, MERS, COVID-19): Viral subtypes, Coronaviruses are a family of RNA viruses that are important viral pathogens in animals and humans. There are four classifications of coronaviruses, with two that are important causes of infections in humans. Coronaviruses can cause both respiratory tract infections and gastrointestinal infections in adults and children. Signs and symptoms are variable dependent on the coronavirus involved. Animals can be both infected and be hosts for the coronaviruses. Transmission of these viruses between species can lead to mutations and development of novel coronaviruses, which can lead to human epidemics and outbreaks. In this lesson, we also discuss a brief history of past human outbreaks and epidemics involving coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and the new Wuhan coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
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