Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Covid-19 Is A Virus That Is Stumping The Experts

Understanding the behaviour of the virus will help scientists develop a vaccine. Photo: Xinhua

SCMP: Coronavirus still stumps experts on when human carrier turns infectious

* Identifying how long it takes before carriers start to spread the virus could prove key to curbing the spread of Covid-19
* Researchers are trying to determine whether it can be transmitted before carriers start to show symptoms

Global health experts are divided on whether the coronavirus outbreak has peaked or worse is to come, but a more fundamental problem for front-line hospitals and laboratories is identifying when a person carrying the virus becomes infectious to others.

Scientists say this could be a key to defeating the disease it causes, now officially known as Covid-19. In other words, knowing how it behaves allows for the development of counter strategies.

The ideal countermeasure is a vaccine, but because doctors are dealing with a previously unknown virus, infectious disease experts, including Professor John Nicholls from the University of Hong Kong, said it would take many months to develop and test a drug to fight it.

Read more ....



More News On The Covid-19 Virus

Killer coronavirus is 'the worst enemy you can ever imagine' as viral outbreaks can pose a greater global threat than terrorism, World Health Organisation warns -- Daily Mail
Top CDC official says US should prepare for coronavirus ‘to take a foothold’ -- CNBC
Why doctors find fighting the coronavirus so challenging -- CBC
WHO says first coronavirus vaccine could be ready in 18 months -- UPI
Timetable For A Vaccine Against The New Coronavirus? Maybe This Fall -- NPR
Deadly coronavirus may have originated in a bat cave 16 YEARS AGO: Scientists say latest disease is a 96% match to a strain discovered in 2004 Chinese study -- Daily Mail
Labs scramble to spot hidden coronavirus infections -- Science Magazine
SARS 2.0! Scientists rename the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 because it is from the same species that killed 800 people in 2002 -- Daily Mail

8 comments:

fred said...

Coronavirus is a bigger threat than terrorism: World Health Organization

Unknown said...

We'll find out more about the virus now that it has travelled outside of China. I don't believe the Chinese government what so ever regarding the origin of the virus, incubation period, mortality rate etc. British news media are playing it down. I hope they are correct although it looks like its gone bandy in China. Time will tell. 🖖🤪

fred said...

HOW CHINA HELPING CITIZENS TO COPE WITH VIRUS

Bob Huntley said...

,,,

G said...

This is crazy

G said...

Help

G said...

Only the devil knows

G said...

Remarkable