[InShanghai]

I am unaware of any literature on the environmental stability of human coronaviruses, but rat coronavirus, which causes a pneumonia in rats, when dried on plastic and then rehydrated 48 hours later is still viable. The decrease in viral titer is 1000-fold after 24 hours and 10 000-fold after 48 hours (Laboratory Animal Science 43: 403-4).

There was an article or a link somewhere on FR that referred to the similarities between a RAT virus and SARS. I've been looking all day for this article/link but haven't found it yet. Does anyone recall that thread?

[aristeides]

I think it was cathy ryan who reported that the genome of the new coronavirus is similar to that of SDA Virus in rats.

[Domestic Church]

I recall reading it and the link on that rat coronavirus. It had high morbidity and no mortality in rats...but it reduced fertility in them. I remember commenting about the potential(possible/probable - you pick) use for population control.It also affected the lacrymal glands. I remember the prefixes adeno and lacrym in the lengthy name and maybe the virus name began with an R.

Didn't someone recently post an article about the swollen & red eyes of a Vietnamese nurse survivor?

[aristeides]

Cathy Ryan tells me that it was riri that posted that information about the genome.