Coronaviruses

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses in humans. However, three coronaviruses have caused more serious and fatal disease in people: SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), which emerged in November 2002 and causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS); MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which emerged in 2012 and causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS); and SARS-CoV-2, which emerged in 2019 and causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Building on previous research on SARS and MERS, NIAID scientists and NIAID-supported researchers mobilized quickly to develop COVID-19 therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics. Researchers continue to conduct basic research to understand how coronaviruses infect cells and causes disease, and what interventions can detect, prevent and stop the spread of disease.