Australian scientists have made a breakthrough on coronavirus

Australian researchers replicate coronavirus in laboratory conditions that could help speed up the development of a vaccine.

Residents wearing face masks shop at a market in Macau on January 28, 2020. Photo: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

Australian researchers have managed to replicate the deadly coronavirus in laboratory conditions in a medical breakthrough that could help speed up the development of a vaccine to combat the deadly virus.

Scientists from Melbourne’s Doherty Institute have grown the first copy of the virus outside China using a patient sample. 

People wearing face masks walk at Monte Fort Park in Maccau on January 28, 2020. Photo: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images.

The copy will be used to create an antibody test which will help authorities to detect the virus in people who have not yet displayed symptoms and don’t know they are unwell. 

Researchers across the world are trying to develop a vaccine to stop people dying from the coronavirus.

The copy will be shared with the Australian network of health authorities and sent to expert laboratories working closely with the WHO in Europe to develop a vaccine. 

In a statement released by the Doherty Institute, deputy director of the research facility Dr Mike Catton said the copy of the disease would help researchers fight the spread of the virus.

Doherty Institute scientists first to grow and share novel #coronavirus. Announcement here: https://t.co/lMYExkWaDb @UniMelbMDHS @TheRMH @uommedia pic.twitter.com/NKrwPQGO5H

— Doherty Institute (@TheDohertyInst) January 28, 2020

“An antibody test will enable us to retrospectively test suspected patients so we can gather a more accurate picture of how widespread the virus is, and consequently, among other things, the true mortality rate,” said Dr Catton.

“It will also assist in the assessment of effectiveness of trial vaccines.”

The patient sample was delivered to the Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Victorian infectious diseases lab on January 24.

The new development comes after the Foreign Minister Marise Payne announced that the government urged people to ‘reconsider your need to travel’ to China.

We now advise you to ‘reconsider your need to travel’ to China overall, due to the outbreak of novel #coronavirus & travel restrictions by local authorities. ‘Do not travel’ to #Hubei Province. Contact your doctor for symptoms of respiratory illness. https://t.co/8HM6dAGpM7

— Marise Payne (@MarisePayne) January 28, 2020

Ms Payne also said in a tweet people should not travel to the Hubei Province.

The virus spread around the world and has been confirmed in at least 15 countries.

Deaths as a result of the virus have been restricted to China, with 106 casualties and 4583 infected.

The NSW Minister for Health Brad Hazzard said NSW was the “epicentre” of the coronavirus outbreak in Australia. “We’re quite concerned. It would appear the NSW is the epicentre for this particular virus in Australia and we have made some decisions which will hopefully keep our community a bit safer,” Mr Hazzard told Sunrise.

As the school term begins in NSW this week, Mr Hazzard said he would not force parents to keep their children home if they had visited China.

“Health officials, federal and state, are still satisfied that the risk factors are not that extraordinary that this is absolutely necessary but it’s one of those times when an elected official ... has to err on the side of the community,” Mr Hazzard said.

“We decided to engage the community and to ask them if they have been in China - since they came from China we would like them to have had a clear 14 days before they send their children to school,” he said.

Mr Hazzard said the issue is that there are a lot of unknowns about the coronavirus and that different medical information was being shared in China to Australia.

“My advice was that we have tested 40 people — 40 people have come forward and come off flights and heard the messages we have been putting out and offered themselves for testing. Only four of those here in NSW have been confirmed,” he said.

“I am very pleased to say they are all in one of our major hospitals and in a stable condition and doing very well.”