2020, Cilt 36, Sayı 5, Sayfa(lar) 001-010
The origin of SARS-CoV-2, history, present and future status of coronaviruses
Murat Kaplan
Bornova Veterinary Control Institute, Virology Department, Izmir, Turkey
Keywords: Coronaviruses, COVID-19, HCoVs, pandemic, SARS-CoV-2
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Coronaviruses (CoVs) have generally progressed with common cold and sometimes pneumonia in humans until 2002. However, highly virulent CoVs associated with high mortality infections such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome have began to emerge after 2002 and finally caused the emergence of a new disease (COVID-19) characterized by pneumonia symptoms in China in December 2019. COVID-19, transmitted in a short time, has affected to whole world and attracted all the attention. Besides strict quarantine measures, personal hygiene, protection of social distancing and use of personal protective equipment have been adopted as the main rule. Also, rapid test kits, vaccine and antiviral drug studies have accelerated fully. Although it remains uncertain when COVID-19 pandemic will end, when gains from the pandemic are considered as a whole; it is clear that experiences gained from pandemic reduce the incidence and perhaps would help to end of the pandemic and will have a great effect on the control of possible mild or serious epidemics in the future. In addition, emergence of animal origin CoVs causing repetitive epidemics or pandemics in humans has once again demonstrated the importance of the ONE HEALTH concept in collaboration betwen veterinary and human medicine. The purpose of this review is to convey the origin and history of coronaviruses, which the whole world is now aware of, as well as to enlighten current status of CoVs and evaluate the possible future effects of CoVs in order to be ready for next possible epidemic of CoVs.