Comparison of the COVID-2019 (SARS-CoV-2) pathogenesis with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV infections

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was first identified in several patients who traveled to Wuhan or went to a seafood wholesale market in Wuhan. The phylogenetic tree showed that SARS-CoV-2 was 96.2% identical to bat β-coronaviruses from lineage B. Also, several studies reported that SARS-CoV-2 uses the SARS-CoV receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, for entry to target cells. Lung alveolar and small intestine are potential targets for SARS-CoV-2 due to the high expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor. In this review, we focused on the zoonotic β-coronaviruses and given there is no specific drug or vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019, we reviewed the literature on the therapy options for SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection, in order to discover their possible use in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections.