Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Transmission electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virions with visible coronae
Illustration of a SARS-CoV-2 virion[1]   Red protrusions: spike proteins (S)[1]   Grey coating: the envelope, composed mainly of lipids, which can be destroyed with alcohol or soap[1]   Yellow deposits: envelope proteins (E)[1]   Orange deposits: membrane proteins (M)[1]
Virus classification
(unranked):	Virus
Realm:	incertae sedis
Kingdom:	incertae sedis
Phylum:	incertae sedis
Class:	incertae sedis
Order:	Nidovirales
Family:	Coronaviridae
Genus:	Betacoronavirus
Subgenus:	Sarbecovirus
Species:	Severe acute respiratory syndrome–related coronavirus
Strain:	Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Synonyms
2019-nCoV

SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA coronavirus which causes the disease COVID-19.^[2] It used to be known as 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by the World Health Organization (WHO).^[3][4] It is named for the spikes on the virus, which look like a crown ("corona" - crown, virus), and SARS.

The virus started the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak.^[5][6][7] The first suspected cases were reported to the WHO on December 31, 2019.^[8][9] Many early cases of this new coronavirus were linked to Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, a large seafood and animal market in Wuhan, China. The virus may have come from infected animals. It is not certain that this place was the source of the pandemic.^[10]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Giaimo C (1 April 2020). "The Spiky Blob Seen Around the World". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
2. ↑ Sanya Mansoor (February 11, 2020). "What's in a Name? Why WHO's Formal Name for the New Coronavirus Disease Matters". Time. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
3. ↑ "Surveillance case definitions for human infection with novel coronavirus (nCoV)". who.int. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
4. ↑ "Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Wuhan, China". cdc.gov. 10 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
5. ↑ "中国疾病预防控制中心". chinacdc.cn. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
6. ↑ "New-type coronavirus causes pneumonia in Wuhan: expert". Xinhua. Archived from the original on 9 January 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
7. ↑ "CoV2020". platform.gisaid.org. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
8. ↑ "Pneumonia of unknown cause – China. Disease outbreak news". World Health Organization. 5 January 2020. Archived from the original on 7 January 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
9. ↑ Schnirring, Lisa (14 January 2020). "Report: Thailand's coronavirus patient didn't visit outbreak market". CIDRAP. Archived from the original on 14 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
10. ↑ "Update and Interim Guidance on Outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan, China CDC Health Update". New Jersey Department of Health. 18 January 2020