Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus: The species and its viruses – a statement of the Coronavirus Study Group

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The present outbreak of lower respiratory tract infections, including respiratory distress syndrome, is the third spillover, in only two decades, of an animal coronavirus to humans resulting in a major epidemic. Here, the Coronavirus Study Group (CSG) of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, which is responsible for developing the official classification of viruses and taxa naming (taxonomy) of the <jats:italic>Coronaviridae</jats:italic> family, assessed the novelty of the human pathogen tentatively named 2019-nCoV. Based on phylogeny, taxonomy and established practice, the CSG formally recognizes this virus as a sister to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses (SARS-CoVs) of the species <jats:italic>Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus</jats:italic> and designates it as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To facilitate communication, the CSG further proposes to use the following naming convention for individual isolates: SARS-CoV-2/Isolate/Host/Date/Location. The spectrum of clinical manifestations associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections in humans remains to be determined. The independent zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 highlights the need for studying the entire (virus) species to complement research focused on individual pathogenic viruses of immediate significance. This research will improve our understanding of virus-host interactions in an ever-changing environment and enhance our preparedness for future outbreaks.</jats:p>

COVID-19: Epidemiology, Evolution, and Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives

“…Subsequent virus isolation from human patients and molecular analysis showed that the pathogen was a new coronavirus (CoV), first named 2019-nCoV, and subsequently this disease was renamed by WHO as COVID- 19. A study group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) proposed the name SARS-CoV-2, but this name remains to be officially approved [1]. This new CoV is now the seventh member of the Coronaviridae known to infect humans.…”

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19): The epidemic and the challenges

“…Since the emergence of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 [1] , it has rapidly spread across China and many other countries [2][3][4][5][6][7][8] . So far, 2019-nCoV has affected more than 43 0 0 0 patients in 28 countries/regions and has became a major global health concern ( https: //www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/ 20200211-sitrep-22-ncov.pdf?sfvrsn=6f80d1b9 _ 4 ).…”

“…On 11 February 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a new name for the epidemic disease caused by 2019-nCoV: coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Regarding the virus itself, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses has renamed the previously provisionally named 2019-nCoV as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) [3] .…”

Is COVID-19 receiving ADE from other coronaviruses?

“…In the context of identifying the priming coronavirus, it is worthwhile looking at SARS-CoV as its introduction to humans has been suggested to have occurred in the Hubei Province [13]. The genetic sequence possesses numerous dissimilarities to the virus responsible for COVID-19, tentatively named SARS-CoV-2 [14], with approximately 79% homology [15]. For example, Hua et al [16] identified two specific epitopes on the SARS-CoV spike protein, 447e458 and 789e799.…”