A team of researchers in Canada say they have isolated the virus responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
The researchers from Sunnybrook Research Institute, McMaster University, and the University of Toronto say the isolated virus will help teams around the world develop better diagnostic testing, treatments, and vaccines as we gain a better understanding of the virus.
The virus was cultured from two clinical specimens in a Level 3 containment facility.
Dr. Arinjay Banerjee, NSERC post-doctoral fellow at McMaster University says, "Now that we have isolated the SARS-CoV-2 virus, we can share this with other researchers and continue this teamwork. The more viruses that are made available in this way, the more we can learn, collaborate and share."