The Vietnamese scientists who successfully cultivate and isolate Covid-19.

The scientists used samples from coronavirus patients quarantined in northern Vietnam for the study. The virus was isolated on vero cells provided by the Friendship Lab of Japan’s Nagasaki University. The study was conducted at NIHE’s biosafety-level-3 lab, the highest safety level for dangerous diseases. It’s the only lab in Vietnam that can ensure maximal safety for this kind of test. Scientists observed vero cells infected with the coronavirus every day using the realtime RT-PCR methodology.

After 72 hours, they found the virus. Associate Professor Doctor Nguyen Le Khanh Hang is Deputy Director of the Virus Department of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology: “After 72 hours, I found the concentration had increased significantly. I then identified the virus under a microscope.”

Master Ung Thi Hong Trang of the National Influenza Center said: “We recognized that it’s a dangerous type of virus. We had to raise the bio-security level above the WHO’s warning to protect scientists and the community.”

The cultivation and isolation of the acute respiratory virus will help to answer questions about Covid-19’s origin, pathogenicity, and epidemic mechanism in order to choose appropriate treatment methods and develop a vaccine against the virus.