Coronavirus Isolated From Patients In Japan
Japanese researchers say they have isolated and cultured the new coronavirus from samples taken from infected people. The coronavirus has caused a pneumonia outbreak in China.
Researchers at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases made the announcement on Friday.
They said that the cultured virus will allow them to develop vaccine, medicine and diagnostics to better treat the pneumonia caused by the virus.
The researchers plan to study the mechanism of infection and its pathogenicity using the virus that they have cultured on their own.
They also plan to share the virus with laboratories inside and outside Japan.
The announcement follows earlier reports by Australian and Chinese researchers that they have succeeded in isolating the virus.
