Thread by @DrEricDing

BUCKLE UP folks— scientists have found why new #coronavirus is so much more infectious - “Compared to (old) SARS’ way of entry, [the new] binding method is “100 to 1,000 times” as efficient”. Study is pre-print but it has been confirmed by another group.
scmp.com/news/china/soc…

2) Moreover, “When looking at the genome sequence of the new coronavirus... (scientists) found section of mutated genes that did not exist in SARS, but were similar to those found in HIV and Ebola.”

3) “This finding suggests that 2019-nCoV [the new coronavirus] may be significantly different from SARS coronavirus in the infection pathway” the study said.

4) “This virus may use the packing mechanisms of other viruses such as HIV.” According to the study, the mutation can generate a structure known as a cleavage site in the new coronavirus’ spike protein.”

5) “virus uses the outreaching spike protein to hook on to the host cell, but normally this protein is inactive. The cleavage site structure’s job is to trick human furin protein, so it will cut and activate spike protein and cause a “direct fusion” of viral+cellular membranes.”

6) “In a follow-up study, research team from Huazhong University of Science and Technology confirmed Ruan’s findings. The mutation could not be found in SARS, MERS or Bat-CoVRaTG13- considered the original source of the new coronavirus with 96 per cent similarity in genes.”

7) “This could be “the reason why #SARSCoV2 is more infectious than other coronaviruses”, Li wrote. Meanwhile, study by French scientist which was published in journal Antiviral Research on Feb 10, also found a “furin-like cleavage site” that is absent in similar coronaviruses.”

8) “drugs targeting the furin enzyme could have potential to hinder virus’ replication. These include “a series of HIV-1 therapeutic drugs: Indinavir, Tenofovir Alafenamide, Tenofovir Disoproxil and Dolutegravir and hepatitis C drugs including Boceprevir and Telaprevir”.

9) “There is also hope that the link to the furin enzyme could shed light on the virus’ evolutionary history before it made the jump to humans... could come from many possible sources such as a coronavirus found in rats or even a species of avian flu”

10) ^great reporting by @SCMPNews. Quotes are directly from the article or from scientists they interviewed. I’m not a genomics expert so I can’t comment on details of the study. But it is at least hopeful that we have existing HIV and Hep C drugs for the furin enzyme already.