VIRUSES infect every form of life, leading to diseases. They differ from other infectious organisms in structure and biology, particularly in reproduction. Despite having their own conventional genetic information – carried in their DNA or RNA – they are unable to produce new virus materials because they lack the synthetic machinery required for this process.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes Covid-19, is an RNA virus that belongs to a large family of viruses known as coronavirus. It lacks the synthetic machinery required for reproduction, so how can it replicate?
