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, “We are asking the American public to prepare for the expectation that this might be bad.†What exactly does that mean?
epidemic
TWiV 588: Coronavirus update – Save the pangolin!
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 by listeners.
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Furin cleavage site in the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus glycoprotein
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 cell. The S protein contains two functional domains: a receptor binding domain, and a second domain which contains sequences that mediate fusion of the viral and cell membranes. The S glycoprotein must be cleaved by cell proteases to enable exposure of the fusion sequences and hence is needed for cell entry.
[Read more…] about Furin cleavage site in the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus glycoprotein
TWiV 586: Coronavirus update: wash your hands
In this week’s coverage of the coronavirus epidemic, the TWiV team discusses the fatality rate, China’s initial reaction to the outbreak, conspiracy theories, how long the virus remains infectious on surfaces, and evidence for virus in the intestinal tract.
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TWiV 585: The coronavirus epidemic
The TWiVerers continue their coverage of the new coronavirus outbreak in China, as the number of cases increase dramatically and the virus begins person-to-person transmission in other countries.
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The growing coronavirus epidemic
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 by infection of cells in culture with broncho-alveolar wash from a patient in Wuhan with pneumonia. The infected cells showed cytopathic effects, and staining of cells with an antibody to coronavirus NP protein, which is conserved among coronaviruses, revealed intracellular staining.