NEW YORK: Researchers have found that the mechanics of infection displayed by the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) are similar to that of the 2002-03 SARS outbreak — also a coronavirus.

Studies over the years show that both viruses use the same enzyme to gain entry into a cell.

As compared to nearly 11,000 people infected with the new coronavirus, most in China since it emerged in December; in 2003 around 8,100 cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) were reported during the eight-month outbreak.

According to the study, published in the Journal of Virology, the recent emergence of coronavirus in China has put the world on high alert for transcontinental transmission, reminiscent of the outbreak of SARS.

Decade-long structural studies by Fang Li of the University of Minnesota in the US, show how the SARS virus (SARS-CoV) interacts with animal and human hosts in order to infect them.

(With inputs from agencies)