SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped, positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus that causes COVID-19. It spreads mainly through respiratory particles and uses the ACE2 receptor to enter human cells.

Spike protein: A coronavirus surface protein that binds host-cell receptors and mediates membrane fusion. Its receptor binding and shape changes initiate SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells.
Positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus: An RNA virus whose genome can function directly as messenger RNA in host cells. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to this genome class, shaping how it begins protein production.
COVID-19 pandemic: The global outbreak of COVID-19 that began in late 2019 and led to widespread illness and disruption. SARS-CoV-2 caused the pandemic through sustained human transmission.
COVID-19 vaccine: A vaccine that trains the immune system to prevent or reduce illness caused by SARS-CoV-2. Vaccines target viral antigens, especially spike, to prevent severe COVID-19.
COVID-19: An infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, ranging from mild illness to severe respiratory and systemic disease. It is the disease produced by infection with this virus.
ACE2: A cell-surface enzyme that regulates blood pressure and serves as an entry receptor for several coronaviruses. SARS-CoV-2 spike binds ACE2 to attach to susceptible cells.
Coronavirus: A family of enveloped RNA viruses that infect birds and mammals, including humans. SARS-CoV-2 is one member of this family.
Zoonosis: An infectious disease transmitted from animals to humans, sometimes through intermediate hosts. SARS-CoV-2 emerged as a human pathogen amid unresolved questions about its origin.
mRNA vaccine: A vaccine that delivers messenger RNA instructions for cells to produce an antigen temporarily. Several widely used COVID-19 vaccines encode the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
Long COVID: A condition involving symptoms that persist or emerge after acute COVID-19 and can affect multiple organ systems. It is a lasting health consequence reported after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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