All Microbiological Aspects of SARS-CoV-2 Virus

The COVID-19 disease, caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus, which was first seen in Wuhan (China) on December 31, 2019, rapidly spread to cities, countries, and continents and was noted in history as the first pandemic caused by coronaviruses. According to the World Health Organization reports, more than 645 million confirmed SARS-CoV-2-positive cases and more than 6.5 million confirmed deaths were noted all over the world during the pandemic (between December 2020 and December 2022). Although SARS-CoV-2 is a virus belonging to the coronavirus family, our knowledge of the pathogenesis and immune response of SARS-CoV-2 is still limited. Approximately 10 years (2012) after the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) (nearly 2200 confirmed cases and 791 confirmed deaths) and 20 years (2002-2004) after the SARS-CoV epidemic (29 different countries, nearly 8000 confirmed cases, and 774 confirmed deaths), the current COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder of how new pathogens can emerge and spread rapidly, eventually causing serious public health problems. Further research is needed to establish animal models for SARSCoV-2 to investigate replication, transmission dynamics, and pathogenesis in humans in order to develop effective antiviral treatments and vaccines.