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The new mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that appeared in Spain will not have any negative effect on the development of a vaccine, says the lead author of the study on this mutation, writes the EFE agency, assumed by Agerpres. The mutation does not change the structure or behavior of the virus, the researchers say.
“We believe that the mutation will not affect the effectiveness of the vaccine,” as the vaccine targets specific parts of the virus that are not affected by the mutation, says researcher Emma Hodcroft from the University of Basel, the Swiss institution that conducted research in collaboration with the Federal Polytechnic. from Zurich and with the Spanish consortium SegCovid-España.
Likewise, the genetic modification suffered by the new coronavirus did not increase its transmission capacity or the severity of the disease.
It was not the mutation that caused the second wave of the pandemic
The study authors believe that the Spanish mutation of the virus is not the one that caused the second epidemic wave that is now passing through Europe, but the fact that governments have taken belated measures as autumn approaches, a season that favors transmission virus.
“People gather inside, close doors, ventilate less, and turn on the heat, all of which allow the virus to move more easily through the air,” said Emma Hodcroft, who believes the recent outbreak of COVID- 19 is quite the result of the intensification of travel and person-to-person contacts.
“Cases began to increase in Spain much earlier than most European countries, with the exception of Belgium, but this coincides with the time when travel was resumed,” he says.
“SARS-CoV-2 is a very stable virus”
In the genetic sequences extracted from COVID-19 tests throughout Europe, the mutation that occurred in Spain (probably between the end of May and the beginning of June) represents 29% of the total, while the second most frequent mutation occurs in 22% of the cases. and circulates mainly in France and Belgium.
However, it’s normal for viruses to undergo frequent mutations, and in the case of SARS-CoV-2, this happens once or twice a month, the researchers say.
“In fact, SARS-CoV-2 is a very stable virus. What we mean is that, although there are mutations, it does not change the structure of the virus or its behavior,” emphasizes Emma Hodcroft.
