Betacoronavirus genus (which also includes SARS 1 and Middle East respiratory syndrome–
related coronavirus [MERS]), which are large positive-sense singlestranded RNA viruses
(estimated size 70–200 nm) with zoonotic origins and transmissible from person to person.
Coronaviruses are named after the projections from their membrane (Corona, Latin,“crown”).
1 When it was first described, the virus had been named 2019-novel coronavirus, but was …