Popular Articles
Today Week Month Year


Here’s the lowdown on whether the coronavirus has already mutated
By Ralph Flores // Jul 06, 2020

The Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) has now infected over 5.6 million people worldwide, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. As experts continue to study the contagion, some have suggested that there is more than one strain of the coronavirus. They believe that these mutations have greatly altered how infectious and deadly the virus is.

Brighteon.TV

Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen behind COVID-19, researchers have looked into the virus's genetic material and found variations in its genetic sequence. These mutations have raised questions about whether they influence how easily the coronavirus infects target cells and if they can increase a person's likelihood of dying from COVID-19.

Looking for answers

According to virus experts, SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped RNA virus -- that is, a type of virus with an outer wrapping (that comes from an infected cell) and whose genetic material is encoded in single-stranded RNA. Enveloped viruses make their own replication machinery inside their host cells.

RNA viruses are known for having high mutation rates, as their enzymes are more prone to errors during the replication process.

According to Jonathan Stoye, a virologist at the Francis Crick Institute in London: “A mutation is a change in a genetic sequence. The fact of a mutational change is not of primary importance, but the functional consequences are.”

An example of this consequence is how mutations can change the efficacy of a drug or an antibody by altering its target. A single change in viral protein, added Stoye, can be advantageous for the virus.

“However, it should be stressed that only a fraction [of] all mutations will be advantageous; most will be neutral or harmful to the virus and will not persist,” Stoye said.

Scientists have made strides in identifying SARS-CoV-2 mutations. Recently, a team from Arizona State University looked at nasal swabs that tested positive for the coronavirus and found that one had a deletion, meaning part of the viral genome was missing. The researchers said that the mutation lowered the virus's ability to replicate.

In another study, which appeared in the Journal of Translational Medicine, scientists from the University of Maryland and the Italian biotech company Ulisse Biomed found eight recurrent mutations in over 200 COVID-19 patient samples.

Made to adapt

According to Stoye, these findings aren't really surprising, especially since viruses are designed to adapt to their hosts.

“Random mutations will occur, and the most fit viruses will come to predominate,” he added. “It does not seem surprising that SARS-CoV-2 is evolving following its jump to, and spread through, the human population.”

But what's unclear at this point, he says, is how mutations will affect the behavior of SARS-CoV-2 in the long run, since it can go both ways. While it's possible that the virus can mutate to the point where it can resist all treatments, it's equally likely for it to evolve to a less harmful version, similar to seasonal coronaviruses. (Related: CONFIRMED: Coronavirus vaccines will contain aborted human babies.)

"[It's] more a case of semantics rather than anything else [at the moment],” he remarked.

With the appearance of mutated versions of the coronavirus, researchers are faced with the unenviable task of dealing with each strain. But Stoye says that reclassifying the different isolates will only make sense when there's better understanding of the impact of these mutations.

“At that point, we can seek to correlate sequence variation with prognostic or therapeutic implications. This may take a number of years,” he added.

Despite the coronavirus continuing to baffle experts the world over, the search for answers to the mysteries that surround this deadly contagion continues. It's only a matter of time before scientists can fully survey the impact of SARS-CoV-2 mutations not just on the coronavirus pandemic, but also on the future of humanity.

Pandemic.news has more on the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

Sources include:

Coronavirus.JHU.edu

MedicalNewsToday.com

Cancer.gov



Take Action:
Support NewsTarget by linking to this article from your website.
Permalink to this article:
Copy
Embed article link:
Copy
Reprinting this article:
Non-commercial use is permitted with credit to NewsTarget.com (including a clickable link).
Please contact us for more information.
Free Email Alerts
Get independent news alerts on natural cures, food lab tests, cannabis medicine, science, robotics, drones, privacy and more.

NewsTarget.com © 2022 All Rights Reserved. All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. NewsTarget.com is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. NewsTarget.com assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published on this site. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.

This site uses cookies
News Target uses cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using this site, you agree to our privacy policy.
Learn More
Close
Get 100% real, uncensored news delivered straight to your inbox
You can unsubscribe at any time. Your email privacy is completely protected.