Respiratory Virus Infections: Understanding COVID-19

Kanta Subbarao; Siddhartha Mahanty

doi:10.1016/j.immuni.2020.05.004

Respiratory Virus Infections: Understanding COVID-19

Immunity. 2020 Jun 16;52(6):905-909. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2020.05.004. Epub 2020 May 20.

Authors

Kanta Subbarao¹, Siddhartha Mahanty²

Affiliations

¹ WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia. Electronic address: kanta.subbarao@influenzacentre.org.
² Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.

Abstract

Respiratory viruses affect us throughout our lives, from infancy to old age, causing illnesses ranging from a common cold to severe pneumonia. They belong to several virus families, and although many features of infection with these diverse viruses are shared, some have unique characteristics. Here we explain what happens when we are infected by respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adaptive Immunity
Betacoronavirus / physiology
COVID-19
Coronavirus Infections / immunology
Coronavirus Infections / physiopathology*
Coronavirus Infections / therapy
Coronavirus Infections / virology
Humans
Immunity, Innate
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral / immunology
Pneumonia, Viral / physiopathology*
Pneumonia, Viral / therapy
Pneumonia, Viral / virology
Respiratory System / immunology
Respiratory System / physiopathology*
Respiratory System / virology
SARS-CoV-2
Virus Physiological Phenomena
Viruses / classification