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The new coronavirus has mutated, which could have life-threatening complications for the pandemic, according to a new small study.
A team of Chinese researchers at Zhejiang University say there are at least 30 strains of the virus, known as SARS-COV-2.
The tensions within China were some of the most dangerous and similar that spread across Europe, the South China Morning Post reported.
Meanwhile, the weaker strains seemed to congregate largely within the United States.
The authors say their findings are the first to show that the mutation could affect the severity of the disease.
Researchers from Zhejiang University in China have found at least 30 strains of the virus, known as SARS-COV-2, and 19 are new.
Some of the deadliest mutations were Zhejiang, where the university is located, as well as in several European countries.
The mildest mutations were varieties found primarily in the United States, such as Washington state. Pictured: A lab technician begins semi-automated testing for COVID-19 at Northwell Health Labs in Lake Success, New York, on March 11.
For the study, published Sunday in the prepress service medRxiv.org, the team analyzed viral strains from 11 Chinese patients with coronavirus.
The Post reported that they then tested how effectively the virus could infect and kill human cells.
Surprisingly, the team found some of the deadliest mutations in Zhejiang, where the university is located.
These mutations had also been seen in several severely affected European countries, such as Italy and Spain.
Additionally, the more aggressive strains could create up to 270 times more viral load than the less potent type.
However, some of the milder mutations were varieties that are found mainly in the United States, including Washington state.
“Sars-CoV-2 has acquired mutations capable of substantially changing its pathogenicity,” the authors wrote, according to the Post.
The researchers cautioned that just because the mutations were milder, it didn’t mean there was a low risk of mortality,
Two patients in Zhejiang, one in their 30s and one in their 50s, became seriously ill after contracting weaker strains.
Although both recovered, the older patient required treatment in the intensive care unit of a hospital.
The researchers detected around 30 mutations in total. About 60 percent of them, or 19, were new.
The authors say that patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, have been receiving the same treatment in hospital, regardless of their strain.
They say the strains may need different efforts to fight the virus.
“The development of drugs and vaccines, while urgent, must take into account the impact of these accumulated mutations … to avoid potential difficulties,” the researchers said.
Globally, more than 2.45 million people have been infected and more than 168,000 have died.
In the United States, there are more than 771,000 confirmed cases of the virus and more than 41,000 deaths.
