Researchers from two Ontario universities and the Sunnybrook Research Institute in Canada have successfully isolated and grown multiple copies of the novel coronavirus, officially identified as COVID-19. The disease which allegedly began in Wuhan, China in Dec. 2019, has now become a worldwide pandemic that has severely affected countries like Italy and Iran, forcing government officials overseas to quarantine millions of citizens. And now, COVID-19 has rapidly infiltrated the continent of North America and South America causing many gatherings such as sporting events and festivals to be indefinitely postponed. However, a team of Canadian researchers might have provided the first step in containing the life-threatening illness due to their tenacious studies of COVID-19 in the midst of global turmoil. 
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According to corona.help, the number of confirmed coronavirus infections is over 141,000 patrons around the globe (as of March 12), the amount of confirmed death due to the virus is currently at 5,371, and the amount of those who contracted the disease and successfully recovered is at 70,654. After successfully isolating the virus the Sunnybrook Research Institute released a press statement detailing their discoveries, it states:
“Thanks to nimble collaboration, the team was able to culture the virus from two clinical specimens in a Level 3 containment facility. (Isolating the virus) can help scientists in Canada and around the world to ‘develop better diagnostic testing, treatments, and vaccines,’ and also understand it a bit better in terms of its biology and evolution.”
Dr. Samira Mubareka, an infectious diseases physician at Sunnybrook, continued:
“While the immediate response is crucial, longer-term solutions come from essential research into this novel virus.”
The two additional Ontario universities with researchers on the team include McMaster University and the University of Toronto. Arinjay Banerjee, a researcher from McMaster University involved in the isolation process of the infectious disease specializes in coronaviruses and bats. Banerjee took to the McMaster University website to detail his involvement with the research stating:
“I’d always told my friends, ‘When I grow up, I want to be a guy who gets called in if there’s an outbreak,’ What’s happening with the outbreak is sad, but I’m glad I can contribute to the process of understanding this and controlling this outbreak.”
Last month, it was revealed that a vaccine for the coronavirus had already been developed. Unfortunately, it takes approximately fifteen years to properly test a vaccine of this magnitude on people and measure its effectiveness. Until then, no matter where you are, remain calm, remain cleanly, continuously sanitize your living spaces, wash your hands, and continue to live your lives to the best of your abilities.
