ADVERTISEMENT
an image with the words "Human Coronavirus Discoveries"
Timeline: Human Coronavirus Discoveries
Download our poster of the biggest milestones, from the discovery of the viral family in humans in the 1960s to the identification of SARS-CoV-2.
Timeline: Human Coronavirus Discoveries
Timeline: Human Coronavirus Discoveries

Download our poster of the biggest milestones, from the discovery of the viral family in humans in the 1960s to the identification of SARS-CoV-2.

Download our poster of the biggest milestones, from the discovery of the viral family in humans in the 1960s to the identification of SARS-CoV-2.

disease & medicine, virology

gold spots on a blue background
A Brief History of Human Coronaviruses
Shawna Williams | Jun 2, 2020 | 5 min read
Milder, cold-causing members of this pathogenic viral family long remained under the radar, although they aren’t entirely harmless.
special report
How (Not) to Do an Antibody Survey for SARS-CoV-2
Catherine Offord | Apr 28, 2020 | 10+ min read
Preprints from the first round of seroprevalence studies indicate that many more people have been infected with the virus than previously reported. Some of these studies also have serious design flaws.
coronavirus sars-cov-2 spike protein covid-19 structure glycans ace2 furin antibody
Scientists Scan for Weaknesses in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein
Chris Baraniuk | Apr 9, 2020 | 5 min read
The virus’s tool for prying open host cells is coated in a protective armor of sugar—but gaps may offer vulnerability to disruption by antibodies.
Relatively Stable SARS-CoV-2 Genome Is Good News for a Vaccine
Amy Schleunes | Mar 25, 2020 | 2 min read
The small number of genetic differences between the original strain of the novel coronavirus from Wuhan and those currently circulating in the US population indicates that a vaccine may likely offer lasting immunity.
Image of the Day: Coronavirus Samples
Amy Schleunes | Mar 18, 2020 | 1 min read
The University of Washington department of laboratory medicine in Seattle processes a backlog of COVID-19 samples.
civet cat sars coronavirus sars-cov-2 covid-19 pandemic intermediate host zoonoses zoonotic
Which Species Transmit COVID-19 to Humans? We’re Still Not Sure.
Claire Jarvis | Mar 16, 2020 | 3 min read
Preliminary modeling studies provide a shortlist of potential coronavirus intermediate host species.
coronavirus covid-19 sars-cov-2 surfaces plastic steel airborne aerosolized
SARS-CoV-2 Can Live on Plastic and Steel for 2–3 Days
Kerry Grens | Mar 12, 2020 | 2 min read
A preprint indicates that coronavirus transmission from surfaces is possible, but does not provide evidence that this has occurred in the COVID-19 pandemic.
conspiracy theory coronavirus covid-19 sars-cov-2 escape from lab wuhan virology
Theory that Coronavirus Escaped from a Lab Lacks Evidence
Emily Makowski | Mar 5, 2020 | 5 min read
The pathogen appears to have come from wild animals, virologists say, and there are no signs of genetic manipulation in the SARS-CoV-2 genome.
How COVID-19 Is Spread
Catherine Offord | Feb 21, 2020 | 8 min read
Scientists’ latest understanding of the facts, the suspicions, and the discounted rumors of SARS-CoV-2’s transmission from person to person
Updated Sept 1
coronavirus pandemic news articles covid-19 sars-cov-2 virology research science
Follow the Coronavirus Outbreak
The Scientist | Feb 20, 2020 | 10+ min read
Saliva tests screen staff and students at University of Illinois; Study ranks species most susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection; COVID-19 clinical trials test drugs that inhibit kinin system
coronavirus 2019-nCoV wuhan china pneumonia genome sequence
Scientists Scrutinize New Coronavirus Genome for Answers
Emma Yasinski | Jan 23, 2020 | 5 min read
Researchers are trying to figure out where it came from, whether it’s evolving, and just how big a threat it will be.
poliovirus nprv2 vaccine-derived polio reversion virulence 481a mutation genetic engineering
New Oral Polio Vaccine to Bypass Key Clinical Trials
Robert Fortner | Dec 17, 2019 | 6 min read
Health officials are rushing a genetically engineered product into the field to counter uncontained outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio.
flu influenza xofluza virus drug-resistant baloxavir
Drug-Resistant Flu Can Emerge After Patients Take Antiviral
Kerry Grens | Nov 26, 2019 | 2 min read
Roughly a quarter of 38 viral samples from people treated with Xofluza had mutations in their genomes that made the pathogens less susceptible to the drug.
Virologist Keerti Shah Dies
Catherine Offord | Aug 2, 2019 | 3 min read
The Johns Hopkins University researcher’s work helped solidify the link between human papillomavirus and cervical cancer, leading to the approval of the HPV vaccine in 2006.
antiretroviral PARTNER study hiv treatment transmission
Antiretroviral Treatments Suppress HIV Transmission
Chia-Yi Hou | May 3, 2019 | 2 min read
A study of hundreds of gay couples finds that HIV-positive men taking antiretroviral medication don’t pass the virus to their partners, even when having unprotected sex.
Bats in Sierra Leone Carry Marburg Virus
Kerry Grens | Dec 31, 2018 | 2 min read
It’s the first time the deadly pathogen has been found in West Africa.
Antibody Combo Knocks Down HIV in Clinical Trials
Kerry Grens | Sep 26, 2018 | 2 min read
Some patients could suppress the virus without antiretroviral therapy for months after the drug infusions.
Cause of Mystery Mouse Disease Discovered
Ruth Williams | Sep 13, 2018 | 3 min read
Lab mice suffering from inexplicable renal failure turn out to be infected with a hitherto unknown virus.
World First: Human Case of Keystone Virus Identified
Kerry Grens | Jun 22, 2018 | 1 min read
A Florida teenager is the first person with a confirmed infection by the mosquito-borne virus.
ADVERTISEMENT