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NIAID provides
The new coronavirus has increased the infectivity of human cells due to a genetic mutation,
◆ 8 times the cell penetration capacity
The virus causes a genetic copy error when it spreads. In the new coronavirus, a mutation called “D614G” occurred, in which the genetic substance RNA changes in one place, and the structure of the protein on the surface changed slightly. While most of the viruses currently prevalent in Japan and around the world are of this variant, a detailed study of how this variant changes the nature of the virus has not been conducted.
Research groups such as Professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Tokyo Institute of Medical Sciences and the University of North Carolina in the United States have placed eight hamsters infected with conventional and mutant viruses in separate cages. An uninfected hamster was placed in a cage 5 cm from each cage, and two days later, five of the eight next to the variant were infected. On the other hand, none of the conventional ones were infected. After 4 days, all pairs of conventional and mutant types were infected, but the mutant type was found to have early droplet infection and was easy to spread.
In vitro experiments showed that the mutant type was 3 to 8 times more capable of entering human cells than the conventional type. In the group, “The variant is a conventional virus in a very short period of time.
◆ There is no difference in symptoms and the vaccine is also effective
On the other hand, there was no difference in the severity of pneumonia between hamsters infected with any type. Furthermore, when the antibodies extracted from infected and recovered people reacted with two types of virus, no differences were observed and the same effect is expected for the mutant types even with a vaccine developed based on the conventional type. You can do it.
Professor Kawaoka said: “Since the new corona is transmitted repeatedly from person to person, there is a high possibility that mutations will occur that change properties. Whether or not mutations will occur that make the vaccine ineffective. I don’t know.” (Koichi Mori)
