Coronavirus

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome. 

Coronavirus first isolated from three people with pneumonia connected to the cluster of acute respiratory illness cases in Wuhan. 

All features of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus occur in related coronaviruses in nature.Outside the human body, the virus is killed by household soap, which bursts its protective bubble.

SARS-CoV-2 is closely related to the original SARS-CoV.It is thought to have a zoonotic origin. 

Genetic analysis has revealed that the coronavirus genetically clusters with the genus Betacoronavirus, in subgenus Sarbecovirus (lineage B) together with two bat-derived strains. It is 96% identical at the whole genome level to other bat coronavirus samples (BatCov RaTG13). 

In February 2020, Chinese researchers found that there is only one amino acid difference in certain parts of the genome sequences between the viruses from pangolins and those from humans, however, whole-genome comparison to date found at most 92% of genetic material shared between pangolin coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2, which is insufficient to prove pangolins to be the intermediate host.