3 ms·
COVID-19 is a retrovirus, much like HIV. They both have similar s-protein as well. When discovered in 1983 that HIV is the sole cause of AIDS, it took 12-years
by SCAQTony 6y ago
COVID-19 is a retrovirus, much like HIV. They both have similar s-protein as well. When discovered in 1983 that HIV is the sole cause of AIDS, it took 12-years for an antiviral to reach the market. In the past 37-years, no vaccine has panned out against HIV. As for COVID-19 "Houston, we have a problem."
- chimprich 6y agoCOVID-19 is not caused by a retrovirus. Our inability to develop a vaccine for HIV is not very relevant as they are very different viruses. The development of this vaccine has not been from a standing start. From the article: "The Oxford team has already developed a vaccine against Mers, another type of coronavirus, using the same approach - and that had promising results in clinical trials.".
- thehappypm 6y agoHIV, as I understand it, is a really difficult virus in general because it attacks the immune system. Our typical vaccine playbook doesn't really work well against it because our whole playbook depends on a healthy immune system.
- cherpa12 6y agoI believe you are correct. I believe COVID 19 IS in the category of RNA based retroviruses. No one here is saying it is the same thing as AIDS! That's silliness. But tests being rolled out on COVID 19 contain a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). I believe the virus does fall into the retrovirus category; like malaria, AIDS and ebola.