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Our first challenge has been to get understanding this new virus – how long it takes to develop and replicate, how it impacts the respiratory system, how the host responds and how it can be transmitted. We also looking to understand its origins, how it may be changing and how it behaves.

What is a virus and how do they spread?

COVID-19 has become a pandemic in just under three months. So how did a virus do this? We look at the basic characteristics of a virus.

Where did this virus come from?

What was the source of COVID-19? Seventy-five per cent of human diseases are those passed from animals to humans – called zoonotic diseases.

How the virus may be changing

Our researchers have confirmed, after studying SARS CoV-2’s genomic sequence, that the virus is presently changing into a number of distinct ‘clusters’ and are now starting to look at how this may also impact on the development of a vaccine.

How the virus behaves

Virtual reality and high-performance scientific computing are helping scientists understand how COVID-19 behaves.

How long can the virus can survive?

We are looking at how the virus survives on various surfaces at a range of temperatures and humidity. We’re also looking at the various ways to make the virus inactive using both laboratory techniques but also other methods.
Read next: Fighting the virus

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