Virologia e Micologia
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A Research on Coronavirus Natural Reservoirs, Pandemic History, and Nucleic Acid-Based Vaccine Development Progress

Tekeba Sisay*, Nega Berhane

Coronaviruses are single-stranded positive-sense enveloped RNA viruses that caused the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This outbreak is highly aggressive and has become a global threat with a rapid spreading rate. Even though coronaviruses were recognized as veterinary pathogens for a long time, due to their wide distribution across different animals, they also found a causative agent of disease for humans when coronavirus strain OC43 was discovered as the causative agent of the common cold in humans. Since that time various strains of coronavirus are discovered to cause disease for humans. The high mutation and recombination efficiency and diversified natural reservoir of coronavirus give the virus a great opportunity to adapt and evolve rapidly. As a result, the virus emerged as a cause of several outbreaks, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and COVID-19. As investigations revealed that all the viruses causing these outbreaks have zoonotic origins. However, we know little about the SARS-CoV-2, an emerging virus, which is the causative agent of COVID-19. In contrary to other types of outbreaks, COVID-19 is a pandemic that kills millions of lives in the whole world. Considering its impact various research institutions are working to develop its vaccines using different strategies. Among the strategies, nucleic acid-based is the most promising approach. Based on this approach several DNA and RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, such as Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson-Johnson vaccines have been developed and get approval for use. On the other hand, other vaccines such as CureVac and CVnCoV vaccines are waiting for authorization which revealed nucleic acid base COVID-19 development strategy is a better approach.