Both Corona Virus and SARS are deadly respiratory diseases that have led to some of the major world health events in the recent past. The outbreak of both these diseases caused wreaked havoc around the world, and countless lives were lost at the height of the outbreaks caused by these diseases.
Key Takeaways
- Coronaviruses are a family of viruses, including the one that causes SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).
- SARS is a specific coronavirus disease, identified in 2002, that leads to severe respiratory symptoms.
- Both coronaviruses and SARS can spread through respiratory droplets, but the severity and transmissibility of individual strains may vary.
Corona Virus vs SARS
Coronaviruses are a large family of RNA viruses that can cause respiratory infections in humans and animals. SARS is a type of coronavirus that emerged in China in 2002-2003 and caused a global outbreak, characterized by severe respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
Corona Virus disease is the most recent respiratory disease outbreak, first recorded in China in December 2019. Because of the ease of transmission of the virus, the disease quickly spread to the rest of the world, leading to a global pandemic. The disease is caused by the strands of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
SARS is a respiratory disease that caused a major outbreak in 2003. The disease is assumed to have been transmitted from animals through the SARS-CoV virus. The disease was first identified in China in 2002 before it spread to 26 countries worldwide, resulting in more than 8000 cases of respiratory system-related problems.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Corona Virus | SARS |
|---|---|---|
| Virus | Corona Virus disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus | SARS is caused by the SARS-CoV virus |
| Transmission rate | Corona Virus has a high transmission rate and it spreads faster | SARS spreads comparatively slowly than Corona Virus |
| Symptoms | Difficulty in breathing, high fever, the low oxygen level in blood | Dry cough, headache, body ache, high fever, malaise |
| Incubation time | The incubation period of the Coronavirus is 1 to 14 days | The incubation period of SARS is 4 to 5 days |
| Mortality rate | The mortality rate of the Coronavirus is 3 to 4% | The mortality rate of SARS is 11% |
What is Corona Virus?
Corona Virus Disease also known as COVID-19, is a highly infectious disease that primarily affects the respiratory system. The disease is caused by a type of Corona Virus known as SARS-CoV-2 and the other mutated strands of this particular virus.
The disease was first recorded in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Because of the ability of the virus to quickly multiply and transmit, the disease quickly spread throughout China and then to the rest of the world.
The infectious disease outbreak was quickly declared a pandemic by WHO in early 2020. The virus resulted in the worst global pandemic in recent history.
The virus primarily affects the respiratory system, particularly the lungs. The lungs get damaged, which reduces the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen from the air.
As a result, the oxygen level in the blood greatly decreases, leading to high fever, fatigue, and tiredness. Breathing problems are the main concern in this disease, as patients suffer major breathing difficulties.
The virus can easily transmit from person to person, and in most cases, the transmission occurs through droplets of mouth and nose discharge after someone coughs or sneezes.
Due to this, the disease rapidly spread across continents, infecting millions of people and also taking countless lives.
What is SARS?
SARS stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. It is a respiratory illness caused by a particular type of coronavirus called SARS-CoV. The disease was first recorded in China in November 2002.
It is a highly infectious disease and can spread quickly from person to person. Due to this ease of transmission, the virus quickly spread around the world, affecting more than 8000 people.
The virus primarily targets the respiratory system, making it difficult for people to breathe. This leads to other problems such as fever, headache, body ache, malaise, and so on.
Fever is the first symptom that is seen in people affected by the SARS disease. The origin of the disease is still unknown, but it is believed that it spread from bats to humans.
The major outbreak of this disease was recorded in 2002 and 2003 and spread to many countries worldwide.
The disease leads to a severe reduction in the functioning of the respiratory system, and in most cases, the people who contract this disease require external mechanical ventilation to aid the breathing process.
The disease also has a high mortality rate, of about 11%, which is the highest among any respiratory condition.
Main Differences Between Corona Virus and SARS
- Corona Virus disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. SARS is caused by the SARS-CoV virus.
- Corona Virus has a faster transmission rate than SARS, and it spreads more quickly.
- The main symptoms of Corona Virus are difficulty in breathing, low oxygen levels in the blood, and high fever. The main symptoms of SARS are high fever, headache, body aches, high fever, and so on.
- The incubation period of Corona Virus is 1 to 14 days. The incubation period of SARS is 4 to 5 days.
- Corona Virus has a lower mortality rate of about 4 to 5% than SARS, which has a mortality rate of about 11%.
- https://www.ams-forschungsnetzwerk.at/downloadpub/Corona%20Virus%20A%20Review%20of%20COVID19-51418.pdf
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/014107680309600803
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