COVID-19 One Year Later: The Biology and the Business
As the world hits the one-year anniversary of COVID-19, GEN looks at the work being done to combat the pandemic
January 8, 2021
As this image shows, the SARS-CoV-2 virion is studded with proteins, one of which is the so-called spike protein. The spike, which consists of two subunits, S1 and S2, took center stage early in the COVID-19 pandemic and has become a key component in the development of vaccines and therapeutics. [Design Cells/Getty Images]
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The days are long, but the years are short.” This bittersweet saying, which is often shared with new parents, may apply to everyone who has been living through the COVID-19 pandemic—although what we’re experiencing is almost entirely bitter and not at all sweet. Over the past 12 months, SARS-CoV-2, an RNA virus that carries a mere 29,903 nucleotides, has devastated our communities, disabling economies and taking far too many lives. However, as we hit the grim one-year anniversary of COVID-19, we may anticipate a measure of relief.