Scientists in Pune captures 1st image of virus causing COVID-19

March 27: In a major breakthrough, scientists in Pune have released the first images from India of the coronavirus causing the Covid-19 disease using transmission electron microscope imaging. They were published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research. The images of Sars-Cov-2, the virus that Causes Covid-19, are from the throat swab of the first laboratory-confirmed case in India on January 30, 2020. The woman, among three students studying medicine in Wuhan, was diagnosed with Covid-19 after returning home.

The images show that the virus closely resembles the Mers-Cov virus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus and the 2002 Sars-Cov virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus.

Dr Nirmal K Ganguly, former director general, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said, “Coronavirus have a crown-like appearance and these spikes on the surface give this virus family its name, as corona means crown in Latin. They have evolved to recognise a variety of receptors, including protein receptors and sugar receptors, and enter cells by first recognising a host-cell-surface receptor for viral attachment, and then fusing viral and host membranes for entry.”