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FILE PHOTO: A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication in conjunction with Trinity College in Dublin shows a structurally representative model of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus linked to the outbreak of Wuhan, shared with Reuters on February 18, 2020. NEXU Science Communication / via REUTERS
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The following is a brief summary of the latest scientific studies on the new coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Antibody that “neutralizes” the new coronavirus
Researchers said Monday they have produced a monoclonal antibody that can “neutralize” the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 disease. Their experiments were conducted in test tubes, and it remains unclear exactly how the virus is blocked by the antibody. Reporting their work in the journal Nature, European researchers say the antibody “offers the potential to prevent and / or treat COVID-19,” but they also emphasize that more study is needed before it is known whether the antibody can become a drug that works in humans. (go.nature.com/2ypZXZE)
New details of the structure of the coronavirus could help the development of the vaccine
New information reported Monday on the structure of the new coronavirus will aid in the development of a vaccine, the researchers say. Vaccine research has focused on the so-called spike glycoprotein (S), a “spike” that protrudes from the virus’s surface and helps it penetrate and infect cells. Using high resolution mass spectrometry, the US research team. The US / UK has documented previously unknown details about the surge that can provide vaccine developers with important clues on how best to attack it, according to their report in the journal Science. (bit.ly/2L0ehe5)
French hospital discovers COVID-19 case from December
A French hospital that re-analyzed old samples from pneumonia patients found that it had treated a man with COVID-19 as early as December 27, almost a month before the French government confirmed his first cases, and a moment in that the virus was believed to have been limited to China alone. The researchers who reported this discovery in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents say it “changes our understanding of the epidemic” and that the models used to predict how the virus spreads may be based on incorrect data. (reut.rs/35vHMOc and bit.ly/35wmyQv)
Report by Nancy Lapid in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot
