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The Global Fight Against Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Posted on 2020-03-11
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emergent virus responsible for the respiratory illness CoronavirusDisease 2019 (COVID-19). First documented in the city of Wuhan (China), it has spread to – at the time of writing – 101 countries and 8 non-independent territories. Worldwide, the total number of reported cases has surpassed 110,000, with over 70% of these patients in China. Outside of China, the three most severely affected countries include Iran, Italy, and South Korea.
The original source of SARS-CoV-2 is unknown. It has been reported to have high similarity to coronaviruses found in bats and pangolins, however, neither of these animals are thought to have been sold in the meat market that the earliest patients visited, suggesting an intermediate host.
The virus is easily transmitted from person to person, primarily via droplets. Infected individuals can reduce transmission rates by wearing a face mask or covering the mouth when coughing/sneezing, by sanitising their hands regularly, and by self-isolating. People who have not yet been infected can use eye protection to block droplets, not touch their face or food without sanitising first, and avoid crowded areas.
The mortality rate for COVID-19 has been difficult to calculate due to the number of undiagnosed cases. Estimates range from 0.02% to14%; most centre at approximately 2-4%. The threat to the average healthy adult is low, however, immunodeficiencies or respiratory illnesses can increase the mortality risk substantially. There is currently no specific treatment or vaccine approved for COVID-19.
Due to the similarity of SARS-CoV-2 to other coronaviruses, itis difficult to confirm it definitively using an antibody. Instead, most diagnostic and research approaches use PCR kits, which can more accurately distinguish between SARS-CoV-2 and other related viruses, such as bat-SL-CoVZC45.
The search for treatment continues as the global infection rate has begun to rise steadily. Governments are also working globally with varying degrees of competency to mitigate the crisis. Below you can find other SARS-CoV-2products being offered by Abbexa to aid efforts by the scientific community to tackle the outbreak.
Abbexa's SARS-CoV-2 Products:
abx460001 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19) RT-qPCR Kit
abx600062 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19) Nucleoprotein
abx600064 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19) Spike Glycoprotein
World Health Organisation Situation Reports
Genomic Characterisation and Epidemiology of 2019 Novel Coronavirus
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Steps to Prevent Illness
