A Comparative Analysis on SARS, MERS and COVID-19

Abstract

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2/ COVID-19) is on its way to become the pandemic of the century, if not already. As a coronavirus, it is known to cause severe respiratory illness, especially for those with compromised immune systems. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) and The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) are the most notable of past coronaviruses infecting thousands in numerous countries. All three viruses are from a zoonotic origin predominantly from bats, one of the coronavirus’s natural reservoir hosts. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to compare and contrast the attributes and features of all three coronaviruses. While SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and COVID-19 share many viral similarities due to their similar classification, they are not as closely related genetically. COVID-19 shares about 79% of its genome with SARS-COV and only about 50% with MERS-CoV. One of the most notable genetic similarities between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 is their shared receptor protein, ACE2. Although all three viruses share the same dominant mode of human-to-human transmission, respiratory droplets, SARS-CoV-2 seems to have drastically higher infection rates than the other two. Aerosol and asymptotic transmission could be a leading factor for COVID-19’s explosive infectivity. Currently, social distancing seems to be the only effective preventive strategy to tackle COVID-19.

Keywords

• sars-cov
• mers-cov
• covid-19
• koronavirüs
• aşı
• sosyal uzaklaşma
• remdesivir
• sars-cov
• mers-cov
• covid-19
• coronavirus
• vaccine
• social distancing