Antiviral gets the jump on coronaviruses
Like other emerging infections, coronaviruses can jump from animal reservoirs into the human population with devastating effects, such as the SARS or MERS outbreaks. Sheahan et al. tested a small-molecule inhibitor that has shown activity against Ebola virus as a potential agent to be used to fight coronaviruses. This drug was effective against multiple types of coronaviruses in cell culture and in a mouse model of SARS and did not seem to be toxic. Given its broad activity, this antiviral could be deployed to prevent spreading of a future coronavirus outbreak, regardless of the specific virus that jumps over.
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