Coronavirus

Question 1

What type of virus is Coronovarius?

Answer 1

• the only +ssRNA virus with helical capsid
• all enveloped, hand sanitizers work
• unlike other RNA viruses, coronavirus can proofread when copying their RNA and have lower mutation rate than other RNA viruses
• change by antigen drift
• often use recombination to make changes in genome

Question 2

How common is HCoV in causing cold?

Answer 2

• 2nd leading cause of causing common cold
• seasonality in winter months

Question 3

How did SARS-CoV arise?

Answer 3

• bat CoV infecting palm civets in China

Question 4

How common is asymptomatic infections in SARS-CoV?

Answer 4

• almost none
• many people hospitalized and required mechanical ventilation
• super spreaders caused lots of infections
• no infections since 2004
• asymptomatic or pre symptomatic people didn’t spread SARS so helped control spread

Question 5

What is MERS-Cov?

Answer 5

• Middle East repertory syndrome
• spread from camels to humans
• has mild and asymptomatic infections
• super spreaders caused lots of infectious in hospital settings or household contacts of infected
• characteristic symptom: more renal failure
• still infecting people today

Question 6

What is the intermediate host of SARS-CoV-2?

Answer 6

• unknown (probably a bat)

Question 7

What is Remdesivir for Covid Tx?

Answer 7

• nucleoside inhibitor
• given via IV injection and in nucleoside inhibitor of SARS-CoV2 RNA dependent RNA polymerase
• given early to prevent hospitlization

Question 8

What is Paxlovid for Covid Tx?

Answer 8

• combo pill with 2 components
• protease inhibitor against main protease of SARS-CoV2 and component that keeps level of inhibitor more steady (ritonavir)

Question 9

What are the vaccines available for SARS-CoV-2?

Answer 9

2 mRNA based vaccines:
- use an mRNA encoding spike protein (receptor binding protein on viral surface)
- mRNA enters cell, spike protein is made so can activate T and B cells to respond
- RNA is encoded in a lipid/nanoparticle which can act as an adjuvant

Subunit vaccine:
- contains an adjuvant in addition to the spike protein and is from original strain

Question 10

Why should who have had the virus before get the vaccine?

Answer 10

it will boost their neutralizing antibodies

Question 10

What are the only detected variants of covid currently in the world?

Answer 10

omicron

Question 11

What is the difference between antigen based tests and PCR based tests?

Answer 11

-PCR more sensitive- detect lower amounts of virus
- antigen based only work when there are high enough levels of virus to be detected