Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Structure

-


Origin - City of Wuhan, Hubei Province, Central China

In early December 2019, numerous people with unknown causes of pneumonia were observed in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, Central China. Then, scientists studied the genome of the virus and named 'coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). 

The primary (main) site of infection- The virus was identified in the respiratory tract of the patients 

Structure - SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped, non-segmented, positive-sense RNA virus that is within the sarbecovirus, ortho corona virinae subfamily found in humans, and other mammals. It's about 65-125nm in diameter, containing single strands of RNA and provided with crown-like spikes on the outer surface. 
Structurally, it has four main proteins
  1. Spike (S) glycoprotein
  2. Small envelope (E) glycoprotein
  3. Membrane (M) protein 
  4. Nucleocapsid (N) protein
 

Each protein has its own function. for example, S glycoprotein is found in the outer portion of the virus, and it binds with the host (human/animal) through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expressed in lower respiratory tract cells. 

Mode of transmission - 
1. Direct inhalation of infected droplets (produced during coughing or sneezing by infected person) and direct contact with surfaces and fomites soiled by infected respiratory secretions

2. Special situations associated with aerosol generation (cardiopulmonary resuscitation, endotracheal intubation, open suctioning, bronchoscopy, nebulisation and use of non-invasive ventilation) can lead to aerosol generation and spread

Duration - On the surfaces maybe a few hours to a few days; the survival duration is likely to be considerably low at a higher temperature and low humidity conditions, but debatable.

Symptoms - Fatigue, fever, dry cough, myalgia (muscle pain) and dyspnoea (difficulty in breathing), with less common symptoms being nasal congestion, headache, runny nose, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Diagnosis - The virus in the respiratory specimen (nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab/ endotracheal secretions or bronchoalveolar lavage) by using specific RT-PCR


Reference- 
1. Coronavirus envelope protein: current knowledge. Virol J. 2019;16:69
2.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): current status and future perspectives
3.COVID-19 in Children: Clinical Approach and Management


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Avoid the Titanic Mistake

-
How to Avoid the Titanic Mistake James Cameron, director of the movie Titanic, describes the Titanic as a ‘metaphor’ of life: ‘We are all living on… [the] Titanic.’ When the Titanic set sail in 1912, it was declared to be ‘unsinkable’ because it was constructed using new technology. The ship’s hull was divided into sixteen watertight compartments. Up to four of these compartments could be damaged or even flooded, and still, the ship would float. Tragically, the Titanic sank on 15 April 1912 at 2.20 am. 1,513 people lost their lives. At the time, it was thought that five of its watertight compartments had been ruptured in a collision with an iceberg. However, on 1 September 1985, when the wreck of the Titanic was found lying upright on the ocean floor, there was no sign of the long gash previously thought to have been ripped in the ship’s hull. What they discovered was that damage to one compartment affected all the rest. Many people make the Titanic mistake. They think they...
Read more

An apple and the aged brain

-
An apple can be compared to a human brain. If you zoom the apple, very carefully, you will observe that the apple is getting near to the expiry date (older & rotten). Similarly, you can compare with an aged brain (beyond a threshold +65), where you would see shrinkage in the brain with an intrinsic curvature (As you see in the apple). Lol. Don't think, I am funny, but that's the fact. Be happy!! Weekend vibes. ☕☕☕
Read more