Coronavirus research highlights: 1-minute reads
Many viral imports seeded the UK outbreak
The new coronavirus has jumped into the United Kingdom more than 1,300 times — mostly from France and Spain. Researchers analysed nearly 30,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes to track the virus’s spread. People coming from China accounted for less than 0.1% of introductions.
Reference: Virological preprint (not yet peer reviewed)
Virus conscripts a pair of human proteins to invade cells
Researchers have found a second protein that SARS-CoV-2 uses to enter human cells. The SARS-CoV-2 protein called Spike has been known to attach to a human protein called ACE2, which allows the virus to enter cells. Two teams of researchers have now found that the human protein neuropilin-1 aids viral invasion. This finding could potentially offer a new target for vaccines and drugs.
Reference: bioRxiv preprint (not yet peer reviewed)
People who feel fine can unwittingly spread the virus
A massive coronavirus-testing campaign in Vietnam has found evidence that infected people who never show any symptoms can pass on the virus. Early in the global COVID-19 outbreak, Vietnam began to repeatedly test people at high risk of infection. Of roughly 14,000 people tested between mid-March and early April, 49 were infected, 30 of them were monitored and 13 developed symptoms. Researchers say that it’s “highly likely” that two of the asymptomatic participants were the source of infection for at least two other people.
Reference: Clinical Infectious Diseases paper
The new coronavirus has jumped into the United Kingdom more than 1,300 times — mostly from France and Spain. Researchers analysed nearly 30,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes to track the virus’s spread. People coming from China accounted for less than 0.1% of introductions.
Reference: Virological preprint (not yet peer reviewed)
Virus conscripts a pair of human proteins to invade cells
Researchers have found a second protein that SARS-CoV-2 uses to enter human cells. The SARS-CoV-2 protein called Spike has been known to attach to a human protein called ACE2, which allows the virus to enter cells. Two teams of researchers have now found that the human protein neuropilin-1 aids viral invasion. This finding could potentially offer a new target for vaccines and drugs.
Reference: bioRxiv preprint (not yet peer reviewed)
People who feel fine can unwittingly spread the virus
A massive coronavirus-testing campaign in Vietnam has found evidence that infected people who never show any symptoms can pass on the virus. Early in the global COVID-19 outbreak, Vietnam began to repeatedly test people at high risk of infection. Of roughly 14,000 people tested between mid-March and early April, 49 were infected, 30 of them were monitored and 13 developed symptoms. Researchers say that it’s “highly likely” that two of the asymptomatic participants were the source of infection for at least two other people.
Reference: Clinical Infectious Diseases paper
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