Cerus Corporation announced the publication of a study in Transfusion Medicine on the inactivation of the MERS (Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome) coronavirus in human platelet concentrates using the INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets. This study follows prior publications on the inactivation of the MERS coronavirus in human plasma2 and the inactivation of the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) coronavirus in human platelets. A new coronavirus outbreak is currently ongoing in China, with the first imported U.S. case confirmed on Tuesday. The genetic sequence of the new coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, is at least 70% similar to SARS-CoV4. A coronavirus is a kind of common virus that causes an infection in the upper respiratory tracts. More serious coronaviruses – such as MERS and SARS – can cause severe respiratory illness. The INTERCEPT Blood System is effective in reducing the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections across a broad spectrum of known and potentially emerging pathogens by cross-linking the pathogens’ nucleic acids, and thereby blocking the replication of viruses, bacteria, and parasites present in the blood product. In contrast, with testing, emerging pathogens need to be identified and could take time for new tests to be developed and licensed. The new pathogen was first identified in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in China. In recent days, the number of confirmed cases increased significantly to over 500 with additional cases identified in Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the U.S. Due to the ubiquity of intercontinental travel, viruses can easily and quickly spread. Coronaviruses are zoonotic with the pathogen originating in animals, but subsequent transmissions can occur between individuals. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is unclear on how the virus is being spread between people. Previously coronaviruses have been spread through respiratory droplets although in theory, there is an additional risk for transmission via transfusion of blood products.