The Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being (Rospotrebnadzor) said on Thursday that scientists from the Vector Institute in Novosibirsk made the first microscopic images of the new coronavirus.
The Rospotrebnadzor statement said that the photographs were taken using the negative contrast method on a JEM-1400 transmission electron microscope. They also stated that the particle size was 100-120 nanometers.
In addition, according to the Russian Ministry of Health, the first complete genome of the virus was deciphered from a sample taken from an infected patient by specialists of the Russian Influenza Research Institute.
“This coronavirus is new to us, therefore it is very important to be able to determine the path of its spread and penetration into the territory of our country, its change. This information will help in the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs for its treatment,” this was stated by Director of the Institute Dmitry Lioznov.
The Institute reported that genetic data was sent to an international database used by the World Health Organization, as well as leading research groups to monitor the development of COVID-19 disease.
According to Rospotrebnadzor, to date, 199 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been registered in Russia. Earlier on Thursday, the Moscow headquarters for responding to coronavirus confirmed that a 79-year-old woman with pre-existing diseases died from the virus, becoming the first victim of COVID-19 in Russia.