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1 – Does the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus mutate?
Yes, it mutates like all viruses, but this attitude should not surprise or frighten since it is common to all viral agents. SARS CoV-2 mutates 5 to 10 times less than influenza and hepatitis C viruses thanks to the so-called refuge system of its genome capable of correcting errors that occur during the replication process.
2 – changed often?
We know of six different subgroups related to the parent who appeared in the city of Wuhan probably as early as December 2019 (but only in January did the Beijing government warn of the existence of strange forms of pneumonia). Technically it is said that the virus evolved spontaneously, according to a normal phenomenon.
3 – What is the impact of these mutations on the expression of the disease?
So far, just one mutation has been shown to give the virus an advantage in terms of its ability to transmit between humans. the D614G. The 6 indicates the gene where the mutation occurred and the gene that encodes the Spike protein, the one used by the new coronavirus to latch onto and penetrate cells. This change has made it more contagious but no longer deadly and dangerous in the amount of damage to human health.
4 – How do we come to this conclusion?
In an article published in November in SciencesResearchers at the American University of Wisconsin-Madison studied the effects of the mutation in vitro and in animal models.
5 – Could the violence of the second wave be due to mutation?
This was stated by Ranieri Guerra, deputy director of the World Health Organization: The virus is transmitted with a speed that leaves us astonished. According to Antonino Di Caro, director of the Lazzaro Spallanzani Institute’s microbiology laboratory, the viral subgroup was already circulating in April and has since spread across Europe, diversifying from the original Wuhan strain.
6 – What do we still know about the mutation?
In a study recently published by Communications from nature, coordinated bycollege of London (Ucl) and based on the analysis of 46,723 genomes of people positive for Covid 19, it is observed that the known mutations have a neutral effect on the transmissibility of the new coronavirus. Then the open debate.
7 – Could this and other mutations compromise the effectiveness of the vaccines that arrive in January 2021?
UCL geneticists say they are optimistic about the effectiveness of the vaccines and the ability to report the presence of mutations for any vaccine update. From the first studies in volunteers who have undergone the administration of vaccines, it appears that the three candidates know how to produce neutralizing antibodies against infection with a high capacity against different circulating viral strains.
8 – How many virus sequences do we know?
More than 150,000 circulating virus genomes have been deposited in international banks.
9 – What does the history of this coronavirus tell us?
The virus has created a selective advantage to enhance its ability to grow. Sars-CoV-2, according to the scientists, appears to be comfortable in humans and has adapted well to its new host after leaving the species it came from, bats. Their behavior makes us think that the coronavirus intends to remain in the human species and does not want to become extinct. He continues his adaptation process and everything indicates that he wants to find a way to coexist with us, said in a recent interview Giorgio Pal, emeritus of virology at the University of Padua, recently appointed president of the Italian drug agency, Aifa. .
10 – There has been talk of a variant of the coronavirus transmitted to humans by mink, what is it?
In a mink farm in Denmark there were 12 cases of non-serious infection in operators of the sector who were infected with variants transmitted by animals that had in turn been infected by humans. The Danish Ministry of Health has announced that the variant, called cluster 5, is no longer in circulation. In an article published in Nature On November 13, the Oxford researchers concluded that mink mutations are not particularly worrisome and that they do not prevent the effect of vaccines anyway.
November 26, 2020 (change November 26, 2020 | 07:25)
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