Coronaviruses are named for the crown-like spikes on their surface. There are four main sub-groupings of coronaviruses, known as alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. Human coronaviruses were first identified in the mid-1960s. The seven coronaviruses that can infect people are: Common human coronaviruses 1. 229E (alpha coronavirus) 2. NL63 (alpha coronavirus) 3. OC43 (beta coronavirus) 4. HKU1 (beta coronavirus) Other human coronaviruses 5. MERS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS) 6. SARS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS) 7. 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) People around the world commonly get infected with human coronaviruses 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1. Sometimes coronaviruses that infect animals can evolve and make people sick and become a new human coronavirus. Three recent examples of this are 2019-nCoV, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV.

Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection