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] Grey coating: the envelope, composed mainly of lipids, which can be destroyed with alcohol or soap[1] Yellow deposits: envelope proteins (E)[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: | |
Strain: | Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
|
Synonyms | |
|
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]