Virology
SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus case fatality ratio
By Vincent Racaniello
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. The case fatality ratio for ...
Virus batteries
By Gertrud U. Rey
by Gertrud U. Rey Lithium-ion batteries produce power when lithium ions flow from a negative electrode to a positive electrode through an electrolyte medium. The positive electrode is usually composed of a lithium compound and the negative electrode is typically graphite (crystalline carbon). Microbatteries, like those found in electronic devices, ...
SARS-CoV-2: Could it be bad?
By Vincent Racaniello
Health experts say it€™s not a question of whether SARS-CoV-2 will spread within the U.S., but when. A CDC official said yesterday, €œWe are asking the American public to prepare for the expectation that this might be bad.€ What exactly does that mean? The CDC assessment is based on a ...
TWiV 588: Coronavirus update – Save the pangolin!
By Vincent Racaniello
The TWiV team returns this week to SARS-CoV-2019 coverage to review the latest epi curves, the fatality rate, furin cleavage site and receptor binding domain in the spike glycoprotein, related CoV recovered from pangolins, evidence that the virus did not escape from a laboratory, and many more questions sent in ...
Pangolins and the origin of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus
By Vincent Racaniello
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 ...
