“COVID-19, which is caused by the 2019 coronavirus, has been dominate news starting 2019. However, you may have first become familiar with the term coronavirus during the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003.

Both COVID-19 and SARS are caused by coronaviruses. The virus that causes SARS is known as SARS-CoV, while the virus that causes COVID-19 is known as SARS-CoV-2. There are also other types of human coronaviruses.

Despite similar names, there are several differences between the coronaviruses that cause COVID-19 and SARS.

The MERS virus causes flu-like symptoms, with most patients developing pneumonia as a secondary infection. MERS is caused by a virus in the coronavirus family, and the syndrome is also called MERS-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). MERS is passed primarily to people from infected camels.  The first generation of Covid.”

The Library of Medicine (SARS, MERS and CoVID-19: An overview and comparison of clinical, laboratory and radiological features – PMC)