Comparative review of respiratory diseases caused by coronaviruses and influenza A viruses during epidemic season

• Published in: Microbes and infection Vol. 22; no. 6-7; pp. 236 - 244
• Main Authors: Jiang, Chao, Yao, Xingang, Zhao, Yulin, Wu, Jianmin, Huang, Pan, Pan, Chunhua, Liu, Shuwen, Pan, Chungen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: France Elsevier Masson SAS 01.07.2020; Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS
• Subjects: Age Factors; Animals; Betacoronavirus; Coronavirus Infections - complications; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Coronavirus Infections - prevention & control; Coronavirus Infections - transmission; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Diagnosis; Humans; Influenza A virus - pathogenicity; Influenza A viruses; Influenza, Human - complications; Influenza, Human - diagnosis; Influenza, Human - prevention & control; Influenza, Human - transmission; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus - pathogenicity; Pandemics - prevention & control; Pneumonia, Viral - complications; Pneumonia, Viral - diagnosis; Pneumonia, Viral - prevention & control; Pneumonia, Viral - transmission; Prevention; Public Health; Respiratory Tract Infections - transmission; Respiratory Tract Infections - virology; SARS Virus - pathogenicity; SARS-CoV-2; Seasons; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - diagnosis; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - virology; Therapy; Transmission; Prevention; Therapy; Coronaviruses; Diagnosis; Influenza A viruses; Transmission
• ISSN: 1286-4579; 1769-714X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2020.05.005

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to sweep the world, causing infection of millions and death of hundreds of thousands. The respiratory disease that it caused, COVID-19 (stands for coronavirus disease in 2019), has similar clinical symptoms with other two CoV diseases, severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome (SARS and MERS), of which causative viruses are SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, respectively. These three CoVs resulting diseases also share many clinical symptoms with other respiratory diseases caused by influenza A viruses (IAVs). Since both CoVs and IAVs are general pathogens responsible for seasonal cold, in the next few months, during the changing of seasons, clinicians and public heath may have to distinguish COVID-19 pneumonia from other kinds of viral pneumonia. This is a discussion and comparison of the virus structures, transmission characteristics, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, pathological changes, treatment and prevention of the two kinds of viruses, CoVs and IAVs. It hopes to provide information for practitioners in the medical field during the epidemic season.