SARS-CoV-2 Isolation and Propagation from Turkish COVID-19 patients

Tastan, Cihan; Yurtsever, Bulut; Sir, Gozde; Kancagi, Derya Dilek; Demir, Sevda; Abanuz, Selen; Seyis, Utku; Yildirim, Mulazim; Kuzay, Recai; Elibol, Omer; Arbak, Serap; Elmas, Merve Acikel; Birdogan, Selcuk; Sahin, Eray; Ozcan, Orhan; Sezerman, Ugur; Ovali, Ercument

The novel coronavirus pneumonia, which was named later as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), is caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, namely SARS-CoV-2. It is a positive-strand RNA virus that is the seventh coronavirus known to infect humans. The COVID-19 outbreak presents enormous challenges for global health behind the pandemic outbreak. The first diagnosed patient in Turkey has been reported by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health on March 11, 2020. Today, over ninety thousand cases in Turkey, and two million cases around the world have been declared. Due to the urgent need for vaccine and anti-viral drug, isolation of the virus is crucial. Here, we report one of the first isolation and characterization studies of SARS-CoV-2 from nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal specimens of diagnosed patients in Turkey. This study provides an isolation and replication methodology, and cell culture tropism of the virus that will be available to the research communities. Article Summary Scientists have isolated virus from Turkish COVID-19 patients. The isolation, propagation, and plaque and immune response assays of the virus described here will serve in following drug discovery and vaccine testing.