Structure & Property

Clinical findings

Laboratory diagnosis

Treatment

Family: coronavirus

Genome: single-stranded RNA, positive polarity.

Nucleocapsid: helical

Size: 80-100nm

Characteristic enveloped particles surrounded by a fringe of club-shaped projections

Cause 20% of colds.

Upper respiratory tract infection in adults.

Haemagglutinate: can only be isolated in organ cultures of human embryo trachea.

Difficult to isolate in the laboratory.

Diagnosis is rarely made.

No antiviral drugs or preventive measures are available.