Structural, genomic information and computational analysis of emerging coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

BACKGROUND: The emerging viral pandemic worldwide is associated with a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). This virus is said to emerge from its epidemic center in Wuhan, China, in 2019. Coronaviruses (CoVs) are single-stranded, giant, enveloped RNA viruses that come under the family of coronaviridae and order Nidovirales which are the crucial pathogens for humans and other vertebrates. MAIN BODY: Coronaviruses are divided into several subfamilies and genera based on the genomic structure and phylogenetic relationship. The name corona is raised due to the presence of spike protein on the envelope of the virus. The structural and genomic study revealed that the total genome size of SARS-CoV-2 is from 29.8 kb to 29.9 kb. The spike protein (S) is a glycoprotein that attaches to the receptor of host cells for entry into the host cell, followed by the attachment of virus RNA to the host ribosome for translation. The phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 revealed the similarity (75–88%) with bat SARS-like coronavirus. CONCLUSION: The sign and symptoms of novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 are also discussed in this paper. The worldwide outbreak and prevention from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 are overviewed in the present article. The latest variant of coronavirus and the status of vaccines are also overviewed in the present article.