In December 2019, the case of a new human coronavirus was known, subsequently causing an outbreak that reached pandemic proportions, and is causing a global health and economic crisis. The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is not the first known coronavirus, although it is currently one of the most studied given its serious consequences, mainly due to its skillful and rapid spread. We are still on the way to finding effective viral treatments and a safe and effective vaccine; meanwhile, countries are making efforts to contain the spread and scientists, to try to learn more about our archenemy.
The dissemination of information about the new coronavirus has opened the door to the dissemination of a complex topic: epidemiology and knowledge of infectious diseases. Infectious diseases can be caused by pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, or protozoa. Some examples of infectious diseases caused by bacteria are tuberculosis, or the black plague, while smallpox, Ebola, measles or chickenpox are caused by viruses. The flu is also caused by a type of influenzavirus; AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is also caused by a virus, HIV; Papillomaviruses, for example, are another type of virus of which some subtypes can cause genital cancers or cancers of the mouth and anus, in addition to genital warts.
Specifically, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is a specific type of virus, a type of microorganism that is neither alive nor dead (it is not alive because it is not self-sufficient to replicate its genetic material, but it is not dead because the information flows from nucleic acid to protein). This type of virus, coronaviruses, live very close to us. Some of them are responsible for common colds. Many of us may have lived with a coronavirus that causes a mild condition throughout our lives.
Viruses differ greatly from bacteria, among other things, in the way they are treated. To treat infectious diseases caused by bacteria, it is necessary to use antibiotics. Antivirals can be used to treat viruses, but it is generally considered that for some viral infections, such as the common cold, there is no effective treatment, instead it must be the immune system that removes the virus naturally from the body .
There are more types of coronaviruses besides SARS-CoV-2. What do we know about them? When were they discovered? How many and which can affect humans? What diseases do they cause and how serious is it?
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH)
