Covid-19: First coronavirus was described in <i>The BMJ</i> in 1965
Elisabeth Mahase
Abstract
The BMJThe first description of human coronavirus-a family of viruses that now includes SARS-CoV-2, the cause of the current covid-19 pandemic-was published in The BMJ in 1965.The research, led by virologist David Tyrrell at the Common Cold Unit in Wiltshire, England, involved studying nasal washings from volunteers. 1 The researchers found that they could grow several viruses associated with the common cold, but not all of them.One such sample, referred to as B814, turned out to be what we now know as a coronavirus.
Topics & Concepts
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Common coldSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Pandemic2019-20 coronavirus outbreakCoronavirusVirologyBetacoronavirusMedicineCoronavirus InfectionsSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirusImmunologyPathologyInfectious disease (medical specialty)OutbreakDiseaseHealthcare Systems and Challenges