Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), MERS and SARS: Similarity and difference

SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19. Since its outbreak in December 2019, COVID-19 has swept the globe. By 17 July 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) had confirmed 13 119 239 cases and 573 752 deaths, and the numbers are still rising. Current evidence shows that COVID-19 is lower than severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome in terms of severity and mortality risk, although the infections are particularly more severe in patients with underlying medical conditions. The bulk of COVID-19 patients had close contact with confirmed cases, but an exact origin and specific transmission for COVID-19 are still unknown. As there is no approved antiviral treatment for COVID-19 infection, proper prevention and control practices are essential to control the infection. To have an insight view of COVID-19, we summarized and compared the etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention measures of COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and Middle East respiratory syndrome.