Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. How to Stop a Killer VOA News More deadly than influenza, COVID-19 is a coronavirus - part of a large family of viruses that include the common cold as well as more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Coronaviruses look like a ball surrounded by a crown. Here's an animated look at how the coronavirus gets into lung cells -- and how it might be stopped. .