Coronavirus (CoV) is a family of enveloped viruses that have a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome.
CoV infects the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tract of mammals and birds, causing various diseases. For example, CoV infection leads to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a life-threatening disease, and common cold in humans, and gastrointestinal or respiratory diseases in farm animals or domesticated pets.
No effective treatment has been developed currently to cure diseases associated with CoV infection, including SARS.