Q. The recent global pause during the COVID-19 pandemic was caused due to:
a) SARS – COV-1
b) H5N1
c) SARS – CoV-2
d) MERS – CoV-2
Question from UPPSC Prelims 2024
Correct Answer: c) SARS-CoV-2
Explanation:
The COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a global pause in various activities, was due to the novel coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2. This virus was first identified in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and is responsible for the disease known as COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 is part of the coronavirus family, which includes other viruses like SARS-CoV-1 (responsible for the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak) and MERS-CoV (responsible for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).
– SARS-CoV-1: Caused the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003 but was not responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.
– H5N1: Refers to a strain of avian influenza (bird flu) and is unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic.
– MERS-CoV: Caused the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in 2012 but is not linked to the recent pandemic.
Thus, the correct answer is SARS-CoV-2, which led to the global health crisis starting in 2019.
