Photo: Getty ImagesA team of scientists in Australia say they have successfully developed a lab-grown version of the new coronavirus, the first to be recreated outside of China, in a breakthrough that could help quicken the creation of a vaccine. The flu-like virus broke out in the central Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019. "The virus will be used as positive control material for the Australian network of public health laboratories, and also shipped to expert laboratories working closely with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Europe." The virus spreads in droplets from coughs and sneezes and has an incubation period of up to 14 days. The Peter Doherty Institute is a joint venture of the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 29, 2020 00:56 UTC