Amidst all the doom and panic-mongering over the Wuhan Flu, it’s good to be able to report that there are some hopeful signs. Although a cure or vaccine is probably at least months away, scientists are already reporting progress.
There are also reported signs that the virus may already be weakening.
A team of Singapore-based scientists has uncovered the first glimmer of hope that the COVID-19 virus could be mutating into a less virulent strain after discovering [a] key protein suspected to affect the virus’s transmission and severity has disappeared in some patients.
This information is still very provisional – the relevant paper is still undergoing peer review – but provides some hope. One of the key characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 – the virus responsible for the Wuhan Flu, COVID-19 – was its relative genetic stability. This was thought to mean that the virus would resist weakening as the infection spread, in the same way other viruses have.
The Duke National University of Singapore team reported the protein “deletion” discovered in eight Singapore patients between February 9 and March 2 was consistent with those found at the tail end of the 2003 SARS outbreak, and could signal a weakening of the disease[…]
Professor [Linfa] Wang told The Australian that the Singapore discovery “shows the virus can make major changes and we are only two months in”.
“Our first confirmed case in Singapore was January 22 and by February 9 we were already seeing a major genetic change.
Viruses are made up of proteins, which have different functions. The function of the protein in question here, ORF8, is not completely understood but is thought to be related to the virus’s ability to cause disease.
“We know the virus can survive without ORF8 but it may not be able to cause disease as easily.”
[…]In the eight Singapore patients, that whole protein disappeared, strengthening the hypotheses that ORF8 plays a significant role in the virus’s adaptation.
A study last year by German scientists who grew the SARS virus with and without the ORF8 in test tubes, found that without the ORF8 protein, the virus was less fit and grew more slowly.
theaustralian.com.au/world/scientists-glimpse-sign-of-covid19-weakening/news-story/
It must be repeated, this is still very early days. Over the next few months, a much clearer picture should emerge.
It’s a similar story with a possible cure or vaccine.
Drugs used to treat HIV and malaria could be used to tackle the coronavirus, according to scientists in Australia.
A team of infectious disease experts at the University of Queensland in Brisbane say they have seen two existing medications manage to wipe out COVID-19 infections[…]
Scientists are keen to use an already-approved medication to try and treat the coronavirus because it would cut out the lengthy processes of safety trials – they are already proven to be safe – and getting government approval and manufacturing.
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8115879/COVID-19-Australian-researchers-CURE-coronavirus.
Some vaccine trials are about to begin. At this stage, though, uninfected patients only are being trialled, to see if, first, the vaccine is safe. Steps toward a vaccine have also been reported in Israel.
At this point, though, it must again be emphasised that cures or vaccines are months at least away, if not more than a year.
The best cure right now is prevention: minimising your chances of infection.
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