Abstract
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold, in people. However, during the 21st century three coronavirus outbreaks have emerged from animal reservoirs to cause severe disease and global transmission concerns. These include the SARS, MERS and SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. The currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 has reached almost every country in the world leading the World health Organization to declare it a pandemic. The virus spreads rapidly and causes an acute respiratory distress syndrome that is associated with a high number of fatalities worldwide. Attempts to contain the virus by social/physical distancing and limiting travel are having profound social, political, and economic consequences. These developments are driving an urgent global research effort to learn more about the virus, including the nature of host response to the virus and the development of various countermeasures.
To highlight the immunology of coronavirus infections and the recent advances in coronavirus research Viral Immunology would like to organize a special issue on coronaviruses (both animal and human).
Please address any questions to our Editor: Dr. Rodney Russell