Aussie scientists leading the world in Coronavirus studies.
Exclusive by national medical reporter Sophie Scott and the Specialist Reporting Team's Penny Timms and Loretta Florance. Thanks to ABC News for the story.
Action toward the world's largest major health threat, Coronavirus, has taken a step forward with Australian scientists becoming the first outside China to replicate the virus in an attempt to produce a timely life-saving vaccine which has claimed the lives of five Australians and over 100 lives in China.
Scientists from Melbourne's Peter Doherty Institue for Infection and Immunity stated on Tuesday, they were able to report the success of their latest findings. They intend to work in conjunction with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other labs across the globe, including a Queensland laboratory.
All are hopeful that this new finding will pose as what Dr Julian Druce, the lead scientist from Doherety Institue called, "a game changer", by having the ability to study the virus and test the affect of immunisation early in a controlled environment. There is also the added hope that researchers may be able to develop protection for those even before the onset of symptoms.
Dr Mike Catton, could not overstate the importance of this finding and in future studies of infectious diseases, mentioning how "vitally important" discoveries such as these prove to the health and outcomes of future outbreaks.
"SARS we know had a death rate - a mortality rate - of about 10 per cent. This coronavirus appears to be 3 per cent; my personal opinion is it will turn out to be lower than that," Dr Catton said.
"There is no cause for concern in the Australian public, there is no human transmission of this virus," he said
"It's important to note because we had some media [ask] about masks today; there is no need for the Australian public to wear masks."
Australian patients have all been reported to be in a stable condition, with those who have the illness being treated in isolation.
