According to a story from Independent, a team of scientists from Canada have isolated the strain of coronavirus that has rapidly spread around the globe in recent months. What this means is that the scientists were able to obtain pure samples of the virus and cultivate them in a secure, contained facility. This will be vitally important for studying the virus and developing more accurate tests. The discovery will also help in the development of treatments and a vaccine for COVID-19.
Isolating the Virus
This isn’t the first time that the virus has been isolated in the lab setting, as scientists in China, Italy, and Australia have done so as well. However, the more countries that can do so, the better. The achievements have already allowed scientists to learn new information about the virus. Every time the virus infects someone, it mutates, and so far two strains of coronavirus have been implicated in the current pandemic. The most prevalent is the strain that first appeared in Wuhan, China, but there is also another that appears to have a less severe impact on the patient.
As the virus spreads, scientists hope that no other more dangerous strains of the coronavirus emerge, which could make the challenge of containing the disease and treating patients more difficult.
Isolating the virus has taught researchers just how quickly the virus is capable of mutating. While the development of virus-specific medications or a vaccine are still probably at least a year away, being able to study the virus in a research environment is a critical step to getting there.
The research team that first isolated the virus in Canada included scientists from the Sunnybrook Research Institute, The University of Toronto, and McMaster University. Though widely referred to as coronavirus or COVID-19 in most news reports, the specific virus that is responsible for the current outbreak is actually called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2. Meanwhile, COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus disease 2019, stands for the distinct collection of signs and symptoms that infection with the virus causes.
Take Steps to Avoid Exposure
Many places around the world are currently affected by the virus and if the virus is present in your community than we strongly recommend following commonly distributed guidelines such as those listed below:
- Try to avoid public places as much as possible.
- Wash your hands on a regular basis, and ask others that enter your living space to do the same upon entering.
- Avoid contact with sick people.
- Try not to touch your face (including eyes, nose, and mouth).
- Cover your coughs and sneezes
- Disinfect frequently touched surfaces in your home.
- Know the symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, diarrhea, vomiting, shortness of breath, aching, coughing, fatigue)
