Blogs

NAMRU-3 have released a genome sequence from one of the early patients in Jordan. This sequence, collected in April 2012, is the most divergent novel coronavirus given its time of sampling. A genetic analysis, still crude given the small number of sequences, suggests a higher rate of evolution than estimated previously from the 2 UK sequences but still suggests a most recent common ancestor back into 2011. Analysis is posted here:

http://epidemic.bio.ed.ac.uk/coronavirus_analysis

With some information kindly provided by Henry Niman (harvested from a variety of reports), I have updated the map of cases:

http://epidemic.bio.ed.ac.uk/coronavirus_background

The HPA released a sequence from the recent UK patient. This third temporally sampled virus allows us to make an initial estimate of the rate of evolution and to have more certainty in the dates of divergence between the sampled strains.

HPA has just posted that a family member of the recent UK case has been infected. The family member had not travelled recently so it is likely this is a case of human-to-human transmission.
http://www.hpa.org.uk/NewsCentre/NationalPressReleases/2013PressReleases...

HPA has announced the discovery of another case of coronavirus in the UK:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/NewsCentre/NationalPressReleases/2013PressReleases...
The patient is being treated in the UK but had recently travelled to Saudia Arabia according to the WHO:
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2013_02_11b/en/index.html