CMB1003/L15 Coronaviruses

Question 1

What is coronavirus morphologically/biologically similar to? (2)

Answer 1

Mouse hepatitis virus
Avian infectious bronchitis virus

Question 2

Which 2 genera of coronaviruses infect only mammals and humans?

Answer 2

Alpha & beta

Question 3

Which species do deltacoronaviruses infect?

Answer 3

Mammalian & avian

Question 4

What species to gammacoronaviruses infect?

Answer 4

Avian

Question 5

What is the genome of coronaviruses?

Answer 5

+ve ssRNA

Question 6

Give 4 key proteins in the virion of coronaviruses.

Answer 6

Spike (S) protein binds ACE2
M protein for virion assembly
N (nucleoprotein) binds and protects RNA genome
E protein for viral release from cell

Question 7

Describe the replication of coronaviruses. (4)

Answer 7

RdRp error prone
Replication and assembly in cytosol
Buds into ER/Golgi
Exits via exocytosis

Question 8

What enzyme cleaves the coronavirus spike protein?

Answer 8

TMPRSS2 (transmembrane protease, serine 2)

Question 9

What percentage of common colds are caused by coronaviruses?

Answer 9

15-20%

Question 10

When and where did SARS emerge?

Answer 10

Guangdong (Southern China)
November 2002

Question 11

What is the reservoir and intermediate host of SARS-CoV?

Answer 11

R - horseshoe bats
I - civets

Question 12

What are the symptoms of SARS? (4)

Answer 12

Initial fever
Non-productive cough
Shortness of breath
Pneumonia
Incubation of 2-10 days

Question 13

When and where did MERS emerge?

Answer 13

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
2012

Question 14

What are the symptoms of MERS? (4)

Answer 14

Fever
Cough
Dyspnoea
Pneumonia

Question 15

What is the reservoir and origin of MERS?

Answer 15

R - camels
O - bats

Question 16

What is the origin and intermediate host of COVID-19?

Answer 16

O - bats
I - unknown

Question 17

When and where did SARS-CoV-2 emerge?

Answer 17

Wuhan, China
Nov/Dec 2019

Question 18

What were the original NHS-recognised symptoms of COVID-19? (3)

Answer 18

High temperature
New, continuous cough
Loss of change to sense of smell or taste

Question 19

What is the recognised NHS symptoms of the delta variant of COVID-19? (3)

Answer 19

Headache
Runny nose
Sore throat
Skin rashes

Question 20

What is the percentage of asymptomatic people with COVID-19?

Answer 20

15-20%

Question 21

Give 3 risk factors for severe illness and mortality.

Answer 21

Age
Cardiovascular disease
Diabetes
Chronic lung diseases
Hypertension
BAME ethnicity
Chronic kidney diseases
Obesity
Smoking
Cancer

Question 22

How does SARS-CoV-2 cause an inflammatory response?

Answer 22

Causes a cytokine storm

Question 23

Give 3 complications of COVID-19.

Answer 23

‘Silent’ hypoxia
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
Sepsis
Secondary infections

Question 24

Give 2 viral protease inhibitors used to treat COVID-19.

Answer 24

Nirmatrelvir
Ritonavir

Question 25

Give an immunosuppressive/anti-inflammatory drug used to treat COVID-19.

Answer 25

Baricitinib

Question 26

Which 2 UK COVID-19 vaccines use modified mRNA expressing CoV spike protein?

Answer 26

Moderna
Pfizer/BioNTech

Question 27

Which 2 UK COVID-19 vaccines use a replication defective adenoviral vector?

Answer 27

Oxford/AstraZeneca
Janssen

Question 28

What kind of response to COVID-19 vaccines elicit?

Answer 28

MHC response