Know Your Corona

[GSC EnvSci]

Corona Genome (From contribution in kksbiotech group)

Virus causing COVID-19 is Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2) of family Coronaviridae, genus Betacoronavirus. Family is divided into 4 groups, alpha, beta, gamma and delta Coronaviruses. Viral capsid is enveloped and has helical symmetry uncommon in RNA viruses. It has been named so due to 'crown-like' appearance.

Severe Acute Respiratory Symptoms (SARS) virus strain of Coronavirus family SARSCoV-2 that caused havoc in 2003 has reemerged in new form causing Corona Virus Disease (encoded as CoViD-19 by WHO) spread globally from Wuhan city of China.

The Coronavirus has single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses. This retrovirus has RNA genome of largest known viral RNA. Viral polyadenylated, Non-segmented RNA of CoV-HKU1 has 29926 nucleotides, 32% G+C content, lowest among known Coronaviruses. Influenza viruses are known to mutate frequently changing its protein spikes to evade immune system. This lead to new outbreak even after community self-immuned against previous strain.

Genome sequence aligned by tools like Clustal W for comparison showed 99.99 similarity. Sequence compared for two genes (1) Spike coat protein RBD (Receptor Binding Domain) and (2) Cleavage site (to break open host cell) close similarity with previous SARS strain. The mutational changes were similar to SARS strain  found in other wild mammals, whereas change likely brought about by genetic engineering were not detected in the new sequence. Genetic sequence analysis by comparative genomics confirmed its natural evolution, and not an engineered bioweapon.

Interesatingly, after this Corona pandemic, China imposed permanent ban on trade and consumption of wild-life.

(Source: NCBI, Nature Medicine, ASM)

[chirag shah]

Hydroxychloroquine (brand name Plaquenil) is an inexpensive, globally available drug (tablet) that was approved for widespread medical use since 1955. It is commonly used today to treat malaria, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.

The study is part of the initiative from an independent group of scientists and physicians working on an open-data clinical trial for prevention of COVID-19, through the use of hydroxychloroquine in combination with other therapeutic agents. The group is now calling on President Trump to allow Americans to use the drug.

Unlike a typical commercial drug trial, the objective of the group is to share trial data with the public* and health-care professionals as close to real-time as possible (with a reasonable level of data quality assurance). Given the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic, the group is looking for every possible means to fast-track the effort. You can read their draft paper

[GSC EnvSci]

Trump administration already approved use of effective antimalarial drugs for treating COVID-19 cases early this week.

[chilenilam]

The test for detect the coronavirus this strain of the covid-19 does not have readily available test kit. But it can neverthless be detected by a series of test in the hospital.
Tests for the virus can only be conducted in specialised labs that are certified to do so.
The lab will acquire one of the following samples from you:
A swab test: The lab will take a special cotton swab & sample the inside of the throat and nose.
A nasal aspirates: The kab will inject a saline solution into your nose, then remove the sample with gentle suction.
A blood test: The collected samples will be analysed for the virus either through a blanket test for all variants of the coronavirus ( including the regular flu) or through specialised gene sequencing test that located the marker for the novel coronavirus.

[Sunita Chauhan]

Recently, there has been considerable discussion of whether two related drugs — chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine — that have been available for decades to treat other illnesses might also be effective in treating COVID-19.

The drugs are primarily used to treat malaria and several inflammatory diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) and rheumatoid arthritis. No drug is perfectly safe, but these drugs are quite safe when used for just the several days they might be needed to treat COVID-19. They are also cheap, already available at our local drug stores, and relatively free of side effects.

[src4592]

Although These drugs have not yet been approved by the FDA,People are rushing to purchase these tablets and consume it without doctors recommendation! These will break the chain for getting exact number of Covid-19's positive cases and can create side effects also as a result of spreading! Hope so Govt. will take strict action on these matter!