Orthocoronavirinae latest Covid buzzword: What is it and is it the same as coronavirus?

Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, there is a new word buzzing around town called 'Orthocoronavirinae’. This new complicated-sounding terminology has raised speculations amongst people questioning if this is a new kind of virus or something related to the deadly COVID. Here is everything you need to know about the Orthocoronavirinae. 

Read:WHO Reports Largest Single-day Increase In Coronavirus Cases

What is Orthocoronavirinae?

Orthocoronavirinae in simple terms refers to a sub-family of viruses. This sub-family includes hundreds of viruses, however, not all are said to affect humans. There are mainly 7 viruses in this group that affect humans, three of them have caused massive outbreaks worldwide namely-- Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) popularly known as the Coronavirus that has infected over 9,051,535 in the world today.

The other four namely--  229E (alpha coronavirus) NL63 (alpha coronavirus) OC43 (beta coronavirus) HKU1 (beta coronavirus) are less dangerous and do not cause severe symptoms in humans. 

These strands of Coronavirus derive its name from its appearance under a microscope. Coronaviruses are named after the Latin word "corona", meaning “crown” because of the spikes that surround the spherical body protruding like the pins on a crown. 

The Orthocoronavirinae sub-family viruses are genetically similar. Most of them are found in animals. The latest SARS CoV-2 is said to have its origins from bats that were sold in the wet seafood markets in Wuhan, China.

The COVID-19 strain is said to have infected over 9,051,535 people worldwide causing over 470,795 deaths across 213 countries and territories as of June 22. The World Health Organization on June 21 reported the largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases by its count, at more than 183,000 new cases in the latest 24 hours. 

Read: WHO Chief Says 'Division & Hate Isn't The Way To Defeat Covid' Amid US & China Erraticism

Read: A 'second Wave' Of Coronavirus Cases? Not Yet, Experts Say