Coronavirus

• We’re studying how immunity to COVID-19 develops, how long it lasts and what happens when it’s lost so that we can make vaccines that work more effectively. This knowledge will help us manage the virus in the community over the long-term, just like we manage the flu. This research is called the COVID PROFILE project.

• We’re developing a new test called c-FIND that can detect infections in just a few minutes. It’s faster than existing tests and can even find the virus in people who don’t have symptoms. While rapid antigen tests (RATs) are available, they have limitations in detecting what infection a person has. More effective detection methods can take days or weeks, during which time a person’s illness may worsen, or they may undergo treatment that is not necessary.
• c-FIND will make rapid screening much easier and faster in hospitals, clinics and other locations such as airports. We can also test many more people at once with c-FIND.
• The Australian Government is helping us accelerate this research with support of their Medical Research Future Fund Frontier Health and Medical Research Initiative.

• We’re working to find new medicines that can stop and kill the virus. Our scientists are focused on discovering drugs that attack two parts of the virus called PLpro and Mpro, which are in all types of coronaviruses.
• These drugs will hopefully treat COVID-19 and also prevent it, and they could help even if the virus changes and vaccines stop working.
• We have a long history studying infectious diseases, so we’re using our vast knowledge in this area test huge collections of different medicines to see if they can fight COVID-19. These medicines could also help us in the future if new coronaviruses emerge.
• We’re collaborating to fast-track our discoveries. The National Drug Discovery Centre is funded by the Victorian and Australian Government, philanthropists and WEHI. Sharing expertise, funding and facilities will help accelerate the development of new medicines for coronaviruses sooner.

• Biological medicines (biologics) are made from substances which occur in nature. Biologics mimic the naturally occurring immune molecules (antibodies) that are produced by our bodies to fight diseases. These medicines are already used to treat cancer and other illnesses.
• We’re working to identify which antibodies could best fight the COVID-19 coronavirus, preventing it from making people sick. We’re using tiny antibodies from alpacas called nanobodies to make these biologics.
• By identifying which nanobodies work best, we can make medicines that can help prevent or treat the disease, particularly for older people or those with weak immune systems.
• Antibody-based therapies could offer a potential solution to COVID-19 and could be used alongside other treatments to combat the global pandemic.

• We’re working to understand why some people develop serious complications from COVID-19 and others don’t. We still do not understand why older people have weaker immune systems.
• Our researchers aim to discover a ‘genetic signature’ that would identify those people who are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19. Already we’ve identified a gene linked to excessive lung inflammation that can predict which COVID-19 patients may develop serious complications. We’re getting these answers faster by partnering with scientists at Queensland University of Technology, the University of Queensland and Hospital Marcelino Champagnat in Curitiba, Brazil.
• We’re developing multi-disciplinary technologies (ID Predict platform) to analyse things like the immune system and genes to help understand what factors may identify someone as a high-risk patient. We are collaborating with the Doherty Institute, the Melbourne School of Engineering and genomics company Illumina to make this happen.

• We’re working with the Institute of Translational Medical Research in Argentina to find out what factors might identify someone who is more likely to get ‘long COVID’.
• By studying immune systems and genes we hope to discover ‘immunological and molecular signatures’ that will predict who might develop ‘long COVID’. This will also help us understand how to better treat these patients.

It is not yet clear why some people develop serious complications from COVID-19 infections, while others have mild or no symptoms. WEHI’s computational biology researchers are tackling this question in two separate studies.

A collaboration with scientists at QUT, the University of Queensland and Hospital Marcelino Champagnat in Curitiba, Brazil, seeks to discover ‘genetic signatures’ of people who develop severe COVID-19, with a focus on severe lung inflammation. This research has already revealed that the activity (expression level) of a gene involved in inflammatory signalling can predict which COVID-19 patients will develop severe disease.
A separate study, in collaboration with the Doherty Institute, the Melbourne School of Engineering and international genomics company Illumina, has developed the ID Predict platform to understand the many factors that contribute to the severity of COVID-19. This incorporates information about a person’s immune system, genome, microbiome and metabolism, as well as viral factors.

These projects have the potential to identify people who are at highest risk from COVID-19, and have the greatest need of healthcare interventions to prevent and treat this disease. A better understanding of why severe COVID-19 develops may also potentially leading to new therapeutic targets.

‘Long COVID’ is a syndrome that persists for weeks or months after an initial COVID-19 infection. Its symptoms include fatigue, pain, and respiratory and heart problems. It is thought 20-30 per cent of people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus develop long COVID-19, with women at higher risk than men. WEHI scientists are collaborating with the Institute of Translational Medical Research in Argentina to discover immunological and molecular signatures in people diagnosed with COVID-19 that predict who will develop long COVID. This research may lead to a better understanding of the causes of long COVID, and may potentially even lead to better therapies for this poorly understood syndrome.

People who are most likely to get coronaviruses are those who:

• have been physically close to someone who has one of the viruses.
• are unvaccinated against COVID-19.

Those at risk of becoming very sick from coronaviruses include:

• older people, especially those aged over 60, as immune systems weaken with age
• people with health problems like lung or heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hepatitis or conditions that weaken their immune system
• pregnant and recently pregnant women.

The majority of infections with coronaviruses are mild, causing the common cold, and are not formally diagnosed.

To diagnose coronaviruses, a test usually involves taking a sample of fluid from the nose or throat.

For COVID-19, people can test themselves using a rapid antigen self-test (RAT). In certain cases, a doctor or clinic may conduct a PCR test.

People with mild coronavirus symptoms, such as a runny nose or fever, can treat it like they would treat a common cold or the flu. They should rest at home and drink plenty of fluids. They may choose to take medicines like paracetamol or ibuprofen to help with any pain or fever.

In Australia, antiviral medications are available as a COVID-19 treatment for people who are at higher risk of having complications.

People with serious coronavirus complications may require hospitalisation, breathing support and protection from other germs that may worsen the disease.

Our researchers are taking a number of different approaches to discover and develop new medicines to treat people with COVID-19 and to reduce the number of cases arising in the community worldwide.

Vaccination is the most effective way to protect yourself against getting COVID-19, and also reduce the spread and severity of the disease if you do contract it.

Up-to-date advice is available from the Australian Department of Health.

Information about COVID-19 is rapidly being updated. Your local health department can provide information most relevant to your situation. Please note that WEHI cannot specific medical advice to individuals.

Sources of accurate information include:

• Victorian Department of Health and Human Services
• Australian Department of Health
• World Health Organization