Table 2.
Comparison of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV infection
| Characteristics | SARS-CoV-2 (refs4,30,83) | SARS-CoV36,40 | MERS-CoV36,43 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epidemiology | |||
| Confirmed cases | 105,658,476a | 8,096 | 2,519 |
| Mortality (%) | 2.2a | 9.6 | 34.4 |
| Incubation period (days) | 1–14 | 2–14 | 2–14 |
| Gastrointestinal characteristics | |||
| Nausea (%) | 7.8 | 20–35 | 21.0 |
| Vomiting (%) | 7.8 | 20–35 | 21.0 |
| Diarrhoea (%) | 7.7 | 20–25 | 26.0 |
| Percentage of patients with positive faecal samples | 55.0 | 97.0 | 14.5b |
MERS-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus; SARS-CoV, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. aAs of 8 February 2021 according to the WHO. bPercentage of faecal samples tested positive.