Elucidating the microscopic and computational techniques to study the structure and pathology of SARS-CoVs

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronaviruses (SARS-CoVs), causative of major outbreaks in the past two decades, has claimed many lives all over the world. The virus effectively spreads through saliva aerosols or nasal discharge from an infected person. Currently, no specific vaccines or treatments exist for coronavirus; however, several attempts are being made to develop possible treatments. Hence, it is important to study the viral structure and life cycle to understand its functionality, activity, and infectious nature. Further, such studies can aid in the development of vaccinations against this virus. Microscopy plays an important role in examining the structure and topology of the virus as well as pathogenesis in infected host cells. This review deals with different microscopy techniques including electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, fluorescence microscopy as well as computational methods to elucidate various prospects of this life-threatening virus.