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Coronaviruses feature the crown-like spikes on their surface; they were first identified in the 1960s and there are seven types of coronavirus that infect people [1]:

1 1. 229E alpha coronavirus causes the common cold; it infects the upper respiratory tract, i.e., nose, throat, sinuses, and larynx. The subject presents symptoms within a couple of days of being in contact with the virus; these can be headache, runny nose, coughing, sore throat, and fever. The illness lasts a week or 10 days, but it can be extended up to three weeks. Sometimes, subjects with other health problems develop pneumonia [2].

2 2. OC43 beta coronavirus is also the cause of common cold, and just like the 229E, it infects the upper respiratory tract and affects the same organs. The symptoms are also the same as well as the recovery time. Subjects with other health problems can develop pneumonia too [2].

3 3. NL63 alpha coronavirus causes many common symptoms and diseases; it infects the upper and lower tract and can cause croup and bronchiolitis [3].

4 4. MERS-CoV, the beta coronavirus, is the cause of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS; the symptoms are coughing, shortness of breath, and fever. Sometimes, the subject can also present pneumonia and gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhoea. Some laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS-CoV are reported asymptomatic, i.e., the subjects do not present symptoms. Most of these cases are detected after a thorough tracing of laboratory-confirmed cases [4].

5 5. HKU1 beta coronavirus causes upper respiratory diseases with common cold symptoms and the subject can develop pneumonia and bronchiolitis [5].

6 6. SARS-CoV, the beta coronavirus, causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), it starts with a high fever, more than 38°C, the subject presents chills, headache, and muscle pain; some cases have mild respiratory symptoms, and some patients have diarrhoea.

7 7. Within a week, the subject presents a dry cough or dyspnoea that can progress to hypoxemia. Some cases even require intubation and mechanical ventilation. The white blood cell count decreases and many people have low platelet counts [6].

8 8. SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus which is the cause of COVID-19, affects people in different ways. In most cases a moderate illness is present and the subject recovers without hospitalization. The symptoms are fever, tiredness, dry coughing, aches and pains, diarrhoea, headaches, conjunctivitis, rash on the skin, and loss of taste or smell. There could also be difficulty breathing, chest pain, and loss of speech or movement [7].