There are many different types of viruses, including a family known as the ‘coronaviruses’. Examples of the coronaviruses are Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV1) and SARS-CoV-2. Coronaviruses mostly affect the respiratory system.

SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19. The symptoms often resemble the common cold at first. Some people do not become ill at all, or are only mildly ill from the virus. Others may become seriously ill and sometimes even die from the disease. Some people keep having symptoms for a long time after having COVID-19. If their symptoms persist for longer than 3 months, it is called post-COVID.

MERS is a disease caused by MERS-CoV, a coronavirus. People can become very ill from this disease. MERS stands for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. The disease only occurs in the Middle East (especially Saudi Arabia) and is rare even in that region.