Melbourne researchers have mapped the immune responses from one of Australia's coronavirus patients discovering for the first time how humans fight off the deadly virus, in the hope it could hold the secret to finding an effective vaccine.

By understanding how our bodies fight the deadly virus, researchers at Melbourne's Peter Doherty Institute for Infection say their findings could also fast-track treatments for the disease.

Scientists are searching for a breakthrough in the development of a coronavirus vaccine. Credit:AAP

As part of a study, the scientists tested at four different points in time blood samples of a woman in her mid-40s who had recently returned to Melbourne from Wuhan, the epicentre of the global outbreak of coronavirus.

The woman, who tested positive to COVID-19, was suffering from lethargy, sore throat, dry cough and a high fever when she presented at a Melbourne hospital.