What we’ve learned about the coronavirus — and what we still need to know

As we approach the three-month mark since we all learned about a new virus triggering serious respiratory infections in China, the amount of information that’s been gained about the new coronavirus is staggering.

In 2003, when SARS first emerged in China, it took weeks for laboratories to figure out what was causing new and sometimes deadly cases of pneumonia there and elsewhere.

This time, rumors of a possible new coronavirus were reported in China at the end of December, roughly the same time the country alerted the World Health Organization that it had a dangerous outbreak on its hands. By Jan. 10, the full genetic sequence of the virus had been shared with scientists around the globe.

The sharing of the sequence data has allowed countries around the world to ramp up testing for the virus, using laboratory-designed kits and scores of commercial tests now flooding the market. Those tests are critical to trying to lessen spread of the virus.

“The fact that so many tests are out there, the fact that there are so many testing platforms available now, is a remarkable success for science,