Coronaviruses make up a large family of viruses that can infect birds and mammals, including humans,
according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
These viruses have been responsible for several outbreaks around the world, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic of 2002-2003 and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak in South Korea in 2015. Most recently, a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) triggered an outbreak in China in December 2019, sparking international concern.
While some coronaviruses have caused devastating epidemics, others cause mild to moderate respiratory infections, like the common cold.
