The novel Coronavirus, which originated in China late last year, has caused a pandemic across the world. Until now, detailed morphology and ultrastructure of coronavirus remains obscure. Now, scientists have managed to observe the SARS-CoV-2 under a high-powered microscope.
Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scientists from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), managed to image the novel Coronavirus. The image was taken from the throat swab sample of the first laboratory-confirmed novel Coronavirus patient in India.
Scientists tested a total of seven negative-stained virus particles having features of Coronavirus-like particles from the sample.
The images show the round shape of the virus and projections or stalks jutting out from the surface of the novel Coronavirus particles.
This is the first time in India scientists detected the Sars-CoV-2 virus using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) directly from a throat swab of a patient, confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Scientists published the study in the Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR).