Corona viruses are a group of viruses causing diseases in mammals and birds. In humans, the viruses cause respiratory infection which are typically mild but in rare cases can be lethal. The name “coronavirus” is derived from the Latin corona and the Greek κορώνη (korṓnē, “garland, wreath”), meaning crown or halo. This refers to the characteristic appearance of virions (the infective form of the virus) by electron microscopy, which have a fringe of large, bulbous surface projections creating an image reminiscent of a royal crown or of the solar corona.
