A worldwide study of the coronavirus published in the journal Cell indicates that the key chain of COVID-19 is causing the virus to spread faster.
But the study authors said that despite the fact that the coronavirus can spread faster, the virus is not more or less severe than before in the outbreak.
The study authors indicate that the virus has mutated and that the amino acid in the protein Spike D614G has become the dominant chain of the virus.
“Our global tracking data shows that the G614 variant on Spike has spread faster than D614. We interpret this to mean that the virus is likely to be more infectious, “wrote study author Bette Korber of the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The federal government’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, addressed concerns that the virus could be more contagious in an interview with The Journal of the American Medical Association on Thursday.
“The data shows that there is a single mutation that makes the virus better able to replicate and perhaps have high viral loads,” said Dr. Fauci. “We don’t have a connection to whether an individual is doing worse with this or not; it just seems like the virus replicates better and may be more transmissible. “
Korbe explained in the study how the virus’s dominant chain differs from previous variants.
“In infected individuals, G614 is associated with lower RTPCR cycle thresholds, suggesting higher viral loads from the upper respiratory tract, although not with increased disease severity,” Korbe said. “These findings illuminate important changes for a mechanistic understanding of the virus and support continued monitoring of Spike mutations to aid in the development of immune interventions.”
To read the full study, click here.
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