What does «coronavirus» mean in Spanish?
- A group of viruses that cause disease in mammals and birds. In humans, coronaviruses cause respiratory tract infections that are typically mild, such as some cases of the common cold (among other possible causes, predominantly rhinovirus), although rarer forms can be lethal, such as SARS, MERS and COVID-19. Symptoms vary in other species: in chickens, they cause upper respiratory tract disease, while in cows and pigs they cause diarrhea. Coronaviruses constitute the subfamily Orthocoronavirinae, in the family Coronaviridae, order Nidovirales, and kingdom Riboviria. They are enveloped viruses with a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome and a helically symmetric nucleocapsid. The genome size of coronaviruses ranges from approximately 27 to 34 kilobases, the largest among known RNA viruses. The name coronavirus is derived from the Latin corona, meaning "crown" or "halo," which refers to the characteristic appearance reminiscent of a corona or solar corona around virions (virus particles) when viewed under a two-dimensional transmission electron microscope.