First Electron Microscope Image Of COVID-19 Virus From India Released

The first images from India of what the coronavirus lookslike are out. The images of the coronavirus have been taken by a team ofICMR-NIV scientists in Pune. The images have been captured using a transmissionelectron microscope and have been published in the Indian Journal of MedicalResearch.

The images of Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19,are from the throat swab of the first laboratory confirmed case in Indiareported on January 30. The woman, among three students studying medicine inWuhan in China, was diagnosed with COVID-19 after returning to India.

   

The gene sequencing of the samples from Kerala done at theNational Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune found that the virus was a 99.98per cent match with the virus in Wuhan.

The image revealed the presence of stalk-like projectionsending in round structures typical of a coronavirus particle.

“In summary, to the best of our knowledge, this is thefirst report from India detecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus using TEM directly in athroat swab specimen confirmed by PCR…” the study said.

The article titled “Transmission electron microscopyimaging of SARS-CoV-2” has been authored by the ICMR-NIV NationalInfluenza Centre Team. The authors include Atanu Basu, deputy director and headof electron microscopy and pathology at NIV Pune.

According to the article, one particular virus particle wasvery well preserved, showing features very typical of coronaviruses. These bindonly to certain receptors on the host cell.

According to the study, the description of a novel humancoronavirus, initially referred to as the Wuhan coronavirus (CoV), is currentlydesignated as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 as per the latestInternational Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) classification. It isprobably the most recent human pneumonia virus with high outbreak potential.

This novel virus was initially identified throughnext-generation sequencing (NGS) and was suggested to have a possible zoonoticorigin. Till date, detailed morphology and ultrastructure of this virus remainsincompletely understood.

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