Table 1 Comparisons of the similarities and differences among three coronaviruses
| Â | SARS-CoV-2 | SARS-CoV | MERS-CoV |
|---|---|---|---|
Genus | β-CoVs | ||
Possible natural reservoir | Bat | ||
Common symptoms | Fever, cough, myalgia and fatigue | ||
Susceptible population | All people | All people (a slight female predominance) | All people (predominantly older males) |
Respiratory tract symptoms | Pneumonia and lower respiratory signs | Upper respiratory signs and gastrointestinal symptoms | Upper respiratory signs and gastrointestinal symptoms |
Receptor | ACE2 | ACE2 | hDPP4 |
Intermediary host | Pangolin | Palm civet | Dromedary camel |
Origin | Unknown | Guangdong, China | Arabian Peninsula |
Route transmission | Airway, contact transmission and aerosol transmission | Respiratory droplets transmission or direct person-to-person transmission through close contact | A combination of long-range airborne and close contact routes |
Infected number | 5 490 640 (May 24, 2020) | More than 8098 | 2254 (Sep 19, 2018) |
Number of deaths | 346 328 | 916 | 800 |
Treatment | No cure, vaccine, or specific treatment | Combination of lopinavir and ritonavir or only ribavirin or IFN-α1 plus corticosteroids | Combination of ribavirin (or ritonavir) and interferon alpha-2b |