Coronaviruses were first isolated from chickens in 1937. After the discovery of Rhinoviruses in the 1950's, ~50% of colds still could not be ascribed to known agents. In 1965, Tyrrell and Bynoe used cultures of human ciliated embryonal trachea to propagate the first human coronavirus (HCoV) in vitro. There are now approximately 15 species in this family, which infect not only man but cattle, pigs, rodents, cats, dogs and birds (some are serious veterinary pathogens, especially chickens).

(http://www-micro.msb.le.ac.uk/3035/Coronaviruses.html#SARS)

Science (http://my.netscape.com/corewidgets/news/story.psp?cat=50201&id=200304011502000129288)
Monday, March 31, 2003
Answers to Some Questions About SARS  
 
 
The disease called severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS,
continues to make headlines. Here are answers to some concens about
it.

Q. What are the symptoms?

A. It usually begins with a fever of more than 100.4 F.,
sometimes with chills and headache and body aches. After two to
seven days, patients may develop a cough. Other symptoms can
include shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing and pneumonia.

Q. Who's most at risk of getting SARS?

A. Travelers to or residents of certain parts of Asia, and
people who've had direct close contact with an infected person,
like health care workers and those sharing a household with a SARS
patient. Apart from that, there's no sign of it spreading in
communities in the United States at the moment, federal authorities
say.

Q. What should I do if I think I have SARS?

A. If you have a fever of more than 100.4 F. and develop a cough
or difficulty breathing, contact a health care provider. Explain
any recent travel to regions where SARS has been reported and
whether you were in close contact with someone who had these
symptoms.

Q. How does SARS spread?

A. The germ apparently travels on the tiny droplets of fluid
that an infected person spews out when coughing or sneezing.
Experts say they're concerned about the possibility that it might
also travel more broadly through the air.

Q. What can I do to avoid SARS?

A. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends
postponing non-essential trips to mainland China, Hong Kong,
Singapore and Hanoi, Vietnam. While some SARS cases have been
reported in Canada, there's no sign of widespread community spread,
so CDC isn't advising against travel to or from there.

Q. Can I catch the germ from an infected passenger in an
airplane?

A. There have been a few reports suggesting that. The World
Health Organization says that doesn't necessarily mean the germ
spreads through recirculated air, however. To reduce the
international spread of SARS, WHO is urging officials to screen
international airline passengers departing from Toronto, Singapore,
Hanoi and several Chinese cities for possible SARS and ask those
who appear sick to delay their trip until they feel better.

Q. Is there a cure?A. None has been identified yet.Q. What caused those clusters of cases in the Hong Kong hotel
and apartment building?

A. It's not yet clear how the germ was transmitted in those
cases. Scientists believe SARS is caused by a type of coronavirus,
the virus family that causes the common cold. Other coronaviruses
can survive up to three hours outside the body. So it's possible
that if an infected person coughed droplets onto a door handle or
some other object that a second person later touched, that second
person might become infected.

On the Web:
WHO information: www.who.int/csr/sars/en/

CDC information: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/SARS