Coronaviruses often result in the common cold (accounting for 10-35% of cases), with symptoms similar to those caused by rhinoviruses.

• Compared with that for rhinoviruses, the incubation period for coronaviruses is slightly longer (3 days) and the duration of illness is slightly shorter (6-7 days).
• In 2002-2003, a coronavirus-induced severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) developed in >8000 pts in 28 countries (with 90% of cases in China and Hong Kong) and was associated with a ~9.5% case-fatality rate; no cases were reported after 2004.
  • - SARS has an incubation period of 2-7 days, after which pts develop fever, malaise, headache, myalgias, and then (1-2 days later) a nonproductive cough and dyspnea.
  • - Pts can develop ARDS and multiorgan dysfunction in the second week of illness.
• The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was first identified in 2012 and has caused more than 1600 cases, with a 36% case-fatality rate. All cases have been associated with contact or travel to the Arabian Peninsula.
  • - After an incubation period of ~5 days, pts develop cough and fever that progress to respiratory failure within a week.