coronavirus, gains entry into cells in the body using a receptor called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).ACE2 is present on the surface of cells in the airways and the lungs.
After a person inhales viral particles, spike proteins on the outside of the virus bind to this receptor, which allows the virus to enter cells and cause disease.Other coronaviruses, including the virus behind the 2002 SARS outbreak, also bind to the ACE2 receptor.