Driving the anxiety and uncertainty about the current outbreak of COVID-19 is the case fatality ratio (CFR) being thrown about carelessly by not just the press, but also WHO and other organizations. However the CFR is not a one-size-fits all, and is influenced by many factors.
A coronavirus related to SARS-CoV-2 has been isolated from Malayan pangolins illegally imported into Guangdong province. It is not the precursor of SARS-CoV-2, but comparison of viral genome sequences provides further evidence that the virus currently infecting humans was not produced in a laboratory. There are two important sequences in the viral spike glycoprotein (pictured) …
Pangolins and the origin of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus Read More »
The spike glycoprotein of the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 contains a potential cleavage site for furin proteases. This observation has implications for the zoonotic origin of the virus and its epidemic spread in China. The membrane of coronaviruses harbors a trimeric transmembrane spike (S) glycoprotein (pictured) which is essential for entry of virus particles into the …
Furin cleavage site in the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus glycoprotein Read More »
by Gertrud U. Rey Herpes simplex viruses establish lifelong persistent infection in sensory neurons of infected individuals, a phenomenon called latency. Latent viral genomes are “dormant” but can sporadically reactivate and begin replicating in a phase called lytic replication, which is often accompanied by shedding of virus particles and the appearance of painful lesions. There …
An unprecedented amount of information is emerging on the new coronavirus, provisionally called 2019-nCoV, that originated in China and is spreading globally. As of this writing there are 8,236 confirmed cases (8,124 in China) with 171 deaths (Click the link for real-time updates). What was the origin of the virus? The virus was first isolated …
As with all previous outbreaks of new virus infections, we are being warned of impending doom concerning the new coronavirus, 2019-nCoV that is now spreading globally. China€™s National Health Commission Vice Minister Li Bin recently warned that ‘there is the possibility of viral mutation€™. Perhaps Mr. Li is unaware that viral genomes sustain mutations during …
