Animal models for studying coronavirus infections and developing antiviral agents and vaccines

In addition to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), SARS-CoV-2 has become the third deadly coronavirus that infects humans and causes the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). COVID-19 has already caused more than six million deaths worldwide and it is likely the biggest pandemic of this century faced by mankind. Although many studies on SARS-CoV-2 have been conducted, a detailed understanding of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 is still lacking. Animal models are indispensable for studying its pathogenesis and developing vaccines and antivirals. In this review, we analyze animal models of coronavirus infections and explore their applications on antivirals and vaccines.