Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a ribonucleic acid–based (RNA-based) lineage B β-coronavirus characterized by 10-20 times higher infectivity and transmissibility even across species than previous coronaviruses. The significant infectivity rate of SARS-CoV-2 is due to its different host cell entry mechanisms that are mainly via angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors contrasting earlier coronaviruses that used mainly the endosomal route. Due to the widespread distribution of ACE2 receptors throughout our body, various routes of infectivity are possible, highlighting the necessity of employing multiple forms of protection besides face masks to limit inter-human transmissibility. SARS-CoV-2 exhibits other remarkable features such as the ability to escape the immune system repeated genomic mutations that make it difficult to design a vaccine to address all viral strains and form huge host cell syncytia leading to massive tissue destruction. If we accept SARS-CoV-2 primary reservoir from bats, we should investigate the routes of viral inter-species propagation. In this article, a new theory is proposed- that the dissemination of the virus from the bats to other species and humans could have been possible via an insect vector, as insects possess significant amounts of both ACE2 receptors and a disintegrin and metalloprotease 17 (ADAM-17) enzymes that are essential for virus infectivity.
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Highlights
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) is a ribonucleic acid-based (RNA-based) lineage B βcoronavirus, similar to other genetically related coronaviruses such as severe acute respiratory coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS), and several bat coronaviruses, that has currently become the major world health problem
The outstanding aggressiveness of SARS-CoV-2 contrasting previous SARS viruses is due to several mutations that have provided this virus with the incredible ability to recognize angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors in host angelalazar.2008@yahoo.com 1Department of Functional Sciences, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest, Romania
The finding that there is a high density of testicular ACE2 receptors in humans [4] brings into question an additional putative sexual transmission route of infection and the post-COVID-19 risk of male infertility that should be addressed by future research in extended studies
Summary
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) is a ribonucleic acid-based (RNA-based) lineage B βcoronavirus, similar to other genetically related coronaviruses such as severe acute respiratory coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS), and several bat coronaviruses, that has currently become the major world health problem. Facing these therapeutic limitations and in front of the many uncertainties regarding the detailed mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, knowledge of the interhuman and across species viral dissemination would become an extremely powerful tool in the control of the COVID-19 pandemics [13] In this light, the prevention/decrease of human exposure to various insect-vectors, including fleas, ticks, mosquitos, houseflies, and cockroaches, may spread various infective pathogens coronaviruses via various control methods (mechanical, physical, and even chemical) appears as a logical necessity
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