New virus infects faster than SARS

New pneumonia-causing virus is related to SARS, said medical experts.

A new pneumonia-causing virus can infect the lining of a person’s airways faster than SARS or the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The “Novel coronavirus 2012” killed five people last year in the UK and the Middle East.

It is related to the SARS virus that killed 775 persons, mostly in Hong Kong, in 2002 and 2003.

This new strain can penetrate cells that line the entry to the lungs. It reaches its peak ability to replicate in two days compared with as much as four days for SARS.

Researchers said 12 cases of the virus have been confirmed, including eight in the Middle East and four in the U.K. The virus appears to spread by human-to-human transmission.

Testing for the new virus should be considered in patients with unexplained pneumonia, the World Health Organization said last week. Although last week’s cases suggest person-to-person infection, no sustained transmission between people has been identified, WHO said.

The new coronavirus is, however, susceptible to proteins called interferons, suggesting a potential treatment. Interferons are commonly used to fight infection with the hepatitis C virus.