A new research has come to light, which was recently published in the Lancet, a well-regarded British medical journal. The study titled “Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China” shed light on the mortality rates associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus, now referred to as 2019-nCoV infection. This dangerous virus has caused clusters of severe respiratory illness akin to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus. Additionally, the research indicated that there are significant gaps in the understanding of the origin, epidemiology, the duration of human transmission, and the clinical spectrum of the disease.
About The Lancet
The Lancet is among the world’s most prestigious, oldest and well-known general medical journals. It is a weekly peer-reviewed publication, catering to the medical community in Britain and worldwide.
Key Findings of The Study
The Lancet’s study on the 2019 novel coronavirus brought several important points into focus. A large majority of the infected patients were male and under half of them had pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. It was found that about 66% of patients had been exposed to Huanan seafood market.
Research data was collected and analyzed using real-time Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), a laboratory technique that allows the conversion of RNA into DNA, followed by next-generation sequencing.
Virus in Focus: The Coronavirus
Coronaviruses are a specific strain of viruses, known to cause a wide array of diseases, ranging from common cold to more serious respiratory and intestinal ailments. The entire virus particle looks like an emperor’s crown due to many “regularly arranged” protrusions on its surface, hence the name “coronavirus”.
Coronaviruses are RNA viruses with ribonucleic acid (RNA) as its genetic material instead of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). This allows the virus to blend with its host’s DNA and mutate rapidly. They can affect humans as well as a variety of mammals and birds.
Recognised Coronaviruses
| Type | Known to Affect |
|---|---|
| Common Cold | Humans, Mammals, Birds |
| SARS | Humans, Mammals, Birds |
| MERS | Humans, Camels |
Among the known coronaviruses, four commonly cause diseases in humans. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus have been known to cause severe respiratory diseases. The newly identified 2019-nCoV is still under research to determine its origins and extent of damage.
DNA vs. RNA Viruses
A virus is defined as a biological agent that can replicate itself inside a host cell, potentially producing thousands of new copies of the original virus at an extraordinary rate. The genetic material of a virus can either be DNA or RNA.
DNA viruses contain DNA as their genetic material, whereas RNA viruses contain RNA. DNA viruses are mostly double-stranded while RNA viruses are usually single-stranded. RNA mutation rate is higher than the DNA mutation rate, and replication of DNA takes place in the nucleus while RNA replication takes place in the cytoplasm. DNA viruses are generally stable while RNA viruses are prone to changes.
Last Modified: February 7, 2024