Raffaele Pezzilli
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of enveloped positive stranded RNA viruses in the order of Nidovirales, with a crownlike appearance at electron microscope. The subfamily Orthocoronavirinae of the family Coronaviridae is further classified into four coronavirus genera: Alpha-, Beta-, Delta- and Gammacoronavirus. Betacoronavirus genus is further separated in five subgenera (Embecovirus, Hibecovirus, Merbecovirus, Nobecovirus and Sarbecovirus).