China has given Russia the genome of the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV, Russia’s Consulate General in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou officially stated Wednesday.

The Russian and Chinese scientists have started developing the vaccine.

"The Chinese side has handed over to Russia the virus genome thus enabling our scientists to quickly prepare snap tests, which can identify the virus in a human body within two hours. The Russian and Chinese specialists have started developing the vaccine," the statement runs.

Russia’s embassy in Beijing is holding talks with China on evacuating Russian nationals only from the central Hubei province, where the largest number of pneumonia cases caused by novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV has been recorded, the Russian Consulate General in Guangzhou revealed.

"Currently, the Russian embassy in China is discussing with China’s authorities the evacuation of only those citizens, who are at the epicenter of the outbreak in the Hubei province (mostly in Wuhan). Staying in this area poses a real threat to life and health. It’s impossible to independently leave it since quarantine has been introduced in the region," the statement reads.

Russia is not planning to evacuate citizens from other provinces, the Consulate General informed, noting that "those willing to leave China could do this independently themselves on a regular basis."

Earlier on Wednesday, the Russian embassy in Beijing reported that it was maintaining contact with 177 Russian nationals currently staying in the Hubei province, including 120 in Wuhan.

According to the latest data, the total number of pneumonia cases caused by a novel coronavirus has reached 6,012, and the death toll has hit 132.

The outbreak of pneumonia caused by novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV was recorded in late December in a major Chinese city Wuhan, home to more than 11 million people.

The new strain of coronavirus has already been identified in almost all Chinese provinces including Beijing and Shanghai as well as in other countries such as Australia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Canada, Malaysia, Nepal, South Korea, Singapore, the United States, Thailand, France, Germany, Sri Lanka and Japan. The World Health Organization recognized the pneumonia outbreak in China as a national emergency but stopped short of declaring it an international one.

Russian scientists in Novosibirsk developing two novel coronavirus vaccines

Two experimental vaccines for novel coronavirus that are being developed by scientists at Russian Novosibirsk’s State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR will be tested in June, the Nauka v Sibiri journal of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Siberian branch reports.

"We are developing two vaccines, their prototypes should undergo first tests in June," the article says citing the center’s General Director Rinat Maksyutov.

According to him, VECTOR has already created two diagnostic sets for novel coronavirus.

On December 31, Chinese authorities informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of an unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhah - a large trade and industrial center in central China populated by 11 million people. On January 7, Chinese experts identified the infecting agent - coronavirus 2019-nCoV.

Currently, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in China exceeded 2,700 with 80 deaths reported. The new type of coronavirus has already been identified in almost all Chinese provinces including Beijing and Shanghai as well as in other countries - Australia, Malaysia, Nepal, France, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, the United States and Japan. The WHO recognized the pneumonia outbreak in China as a national emergency but stopped short of declaring an international one.

BDST: 1849 HRS, JAN 29, 2020

SMS