Illustration of antibodies responding to an infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (centre). The virus emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and causes a mild respiratory illness (Covid-19) that can develop into pneumonia and be fatal in some cases. The coronaviruses take their name from their crown (corona) of surface proteins, which are used to attach and penetrate their host cells. Once inside a cell, the particles use the cell's machinery to make more copies of the virus. Antibodies bind to specific antigens, for instance viral proteins, marking them for destruction by other immune cells.