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Coronaviruses have caused three outbreaks in humans in the past 20 years: they were responsible for SARS in 2002, MERS in 2012, and the ongoing outbreak spreading rapidly through China and around the world. While finding ways to prevent and treat this new virus is the most pressing priority, in the long term, scientists have their eye on ways to prevent and treat any coronavirus — so that they’re prepared for the next one to come along.
“This is not a one-off,” says Timothy Sheahan, a coronavirus expert and assistant professor at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. “This is something that will continue to happen in the future.”
The new coronavirus is a dangerous public health problem for China and…