system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How many strains of coronavirusare most likely out there?
gpt
Not sure why you’re getting such weird answers, but there are 7 main strains of the coronavirus in humans. 

The four mundane ones are referred to as “HCoV”, such as HCoV-HKU1. 

These strains are constantly present in humans and are known for causing common colds, and very rarely leading to complications. Our bodies are typically quite used to them. 

And then there are 3 novel strains, new strains that have emerged in the past 20 years. They are: SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV 2.  

SARS, or “severe acute respiratory syndrome”, emerged in the early 2000s and, unlike COVID-19, it was easily controlled through international cooperation. Most people only heard about it in the news. We were so effective at controlling it that we gave up on a vaccine because it no longer served a purpose. 

MERS-COV, or “Middle East respiratory syndrome”, is significantly more deadly than any other coronavirus, with a mortality rate as high as 35%. Thankful it also proved easy to contain and while it still exists in the wild, yearly cases are low enough to not be a concern. 

SARS-CoV-2, or COVID-19, is something I’m sure you’re aware of. 

Note that these coronaviruses compete with each other.