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DATE AND TIME:
05/05/2020 19:49
Scientists have identified a new strain of coronavirus that has become dominant worldwide and appears to be more contagious than versions that spread in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study led by Laboratory scientists. Los Alamos National Park.
Corona virus, Photo: Shutterstock
The new strain appeared in Europe in February, quickly migrated to the east coast of the United States, and has been the dominant strain worldwide since mid-March, the scientists wrote.
In addition to spreading faster, people may be vulnerable to another infection after the first attack with the disease, the report warns.
The 33-page report, released Thursday on BioRxiv, a website researchers use to share their work before the peer review, is an attempt to accelerate collaboration with scientists working on vaccines or treatments against COVID-19. This research is largely based on the genetic sequence of previous strains and may not be effective compared to the new one.
The mutation identified in the new report affects the now “infamous spikes” on the outside of the coronavirus, which allow it to enter human respiratory cells. The report’s authors said they felt an “urgent need for early warning” for vaccines and developing drugs worldwide to be effective against the mutated strain.
Coronavirus in Italy, Photo: Tanjug / AP
Wherever the new strain appeared, it quickly infected many more people than previous strains that came from Wuhan, and within a few weeks, it was the only strain prevailing in some countries, according to the report.
The new strain’s dominance over its predecessors shows that it is more infectious, according to the report, although the exact reason is still unknown.
The coronavirus, known to scientists as SARS-CoV-2, has infected more than 3.5 million people worldwide and has caused more than 250,000 deaths from COVID-19 since its discovery late last year.
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