The Coronaview

I can't start this blog without mentioning the current situation at hand: the coronavirus. Here's a brief scientific overview of the pandemic that has impacted so many lives around the world.

Officially named COVID-19, the disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is part of the coronavirus family. Just to clarify: the disease is COVID-19 and the virus is SARS-CoV-2. The virus is the molecule that infects an organism and causes the disease. This family of viruses is known to infect many animals including humans, and a respiratory infection is a common symptom caused by coronaviruses. "Corona" means "crown" in Latin; the name refers to its crown-like spikes that help the virus attach to its host cell.

Fun Fact: Many people across the United States have been searching "beer coronavirus" and other related terms to find out if there is a relation between the virus and the beer company. Hint - there isn't.

Lately, you've probably been told not to touch your face. Some of us find it hard to follow that rule, myself included. However, especially nowadays, if you touch your face, you could be leading the virus straight into your body. The human body is a remarkable fortress. There are only 5 ways to get into your body: the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or a break in the skin. That's why it's important to keep your hands away from your face. If you touched an infected surface and then touched your mouth, you might have unknowingly put the virus in your mouth.

Like most viruses, SARS-CoV-2 infiltrates the body through the eyes, mouth, or nose. Once inside a host cell, the virus will release its RNA, its genetic material. The host cell will then replicate the RNA, thinking that the material is its own. This process results in countless copies of the virus, which spread to the rest of the body.

Sometimes, coughing and sneezing can eject the virus from the body. Despite needing a host to live, the virus can survive for days on surfaces like glass, metal, and plastic. That's why it's a good idea to wipe your cell phones if you were using it outside of your home. Wiping commonly touched surfaces at home such as tables and doorknobs will also curb the spread of the virus. SARS-CoV-2 is actually too heavy to remain airborne, so it drops to the ground quickly. However, it can travel from person to person at a close proximity.

Washing your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water is the best way to prevent yourself from being infected. Yes, I know. You've heard it a million times. But do you know how it really works? Let's zoom in onto a molecular level. Soap is essentially a bunch of tiny molecules composed of a head and a tail. The head is hydrophilic and loves to bond with water molecules. The tail is hydrophobic and avoids water molecules as much as possible; however, it likes to bond with lipids, which includes fats and oils. These properties are what help soap molecules break apart a virus's membrane. The membrane, or skin so to speak, of a virus is made up of lipids, making it easy for soap molecules to lodge their tails into it and break it apart. Even if the virus isn't completely destroyed, a damaged virus will not be able to stick to surfaces, so it can be easily washed off. Bottom line, hand-washing is very potent against viruses and other microorganisms.

Another common preventative measure is wearing a face mask. The mask will act as a shield, blocking the virus from entering the mouth or nose. It works the other way as well; the mask can also block the escaped viruses from landing on other surfaces or people. Either way, it is an effective practice.

I may go in depth another time, but there is not much known about the coronavirus as of now since it's a relatively new strain of virus. Any questions or comments are welcome below. I hope you learned something new today! Keep a lookout for the next post. Until then, stay safe!