What is the Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS?

Coronavirus and SARS are both caused by coronaviruses, but they have some differences in terms of epidemiology, transmissibility, and severity. The main differences and similarities between them are summarized below.

Similarities:

1. Both COVID-19 (caused by SARS-CoV-2) and SARS (caused by SARS-CoV) are caused by coronaviruses.
2. The early symptoms of SARS and COVID-19 are very similar, including fever, cough, headache, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties.

Differences:

1. Location of first detection: COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, while SARS was first detected in Guangdong, China, in November 2002.
2. Incubation period: The incubation period for SARS is not specified in the search results, while the incubation period for COVID-19 is around 5 to 14 days.
3. Transmissibility: COVID-19 has a higher transmissibility than SARS, with a higher basic reproduction number (R0), indicating that COVID-19 may be more contagious.
4. Patient demographics: SARS had a predominance of female patients, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.25, while no specific demographic information is given for COVID-19 in the search results.
5. Symptom distribution: SARS cases were generally more severe than COVID-19 cases, which can range from mild to severe.
6. Mortality rate: SARS has a higher mortality rate than COVID-19, with the estimated mortality rate of SARS around 10.9%.
7. Infectiousness throughout the illness: Patients with SARS were maximally infectious during the second week of illness, while COVID-19 patients are most infectious in the pre-symptomatic and early symptomatic phases.

In summary, COVID-19 and SARS have some similarities, such as their common symptoms and both being caused by coronaviruses. However, there are significant differences in their transmissibility, severity, and mortality rates, with SARS being more severe and having a higher mortality rate than COVID-19.

Comparative Table: Coronavirus vs SARS

Here is a table comparing the differences and similarities between the coronaviruses responsible for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) and SARS (SARS-CoV):

Both COVID-19 and SARS are caused by coronaviruses and share similarities, such as emerging from China in 2019 and 2002, respectively, and causing severe respiratory diseases. However, there are key differences in their transmission dynamics, spectrum of clinical presentations, and mortality rates. COVID-19 has a higher reproductive number (R0) and a lower mortality rate compared to SARS, indicating that it may be more transmissible but less severe.