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The coronavirus has mutated and grown friendlier, according to a French professor.
Although it is positive that the death toll has now decreased, the danger is not over, warns Niklas Arnberg, professor of virology:
– For example, there is a risk that the virus will develop resistance, he says.
The spread of the infection is increasing in France at the same time that deaths are at a much lower level than during the first wave.
Last week, Didier Raoult, professor of microbiology and director of a hospital in Marseille, said that seven new mutations of the virus had been discovered.
– The mutations we see are degraded versions of the original form of the virus. At least that’s our impression, he said.
This may explain why France and several other countries now have a greater spread of the infection, but relatively few deaths compared to the early stages of the pandemic, said the professor, who, however, is controversial in French medicine.
Photo: Christophe Ena / TT
Controversial Didier Raoult, professor of microbiology.
“You don’t benefit from assaulting people”
The coronavirus is expected to sooner or later mutate into a less lethal variant, according to Niklas Arnberg, a professor of virology at Umeå University.
– When it comes to this virus and others that pass from animal to human and begin to spread among us, it is natural that they mutate. They don’t benefit from cracking humans because then it will be more difficult for the virus to spread, he says.
Mutations happen randomly. The best bugs are the virus variants that survive.
But according to Niklas Arnberg, it is too early to tell if it is a mutation that is behind the lower death rates and that it seems that fewer people need hospital care.
– Of course, the virus may have gotten kinder since it started spreading among the people of Wuhan in China. But I don’t think it can be concluded that this is the reason why fewer people get sick and die now.
Tegnell: Risk of more deaths
To establish this, you have to perform detailed laboratory experiments, Arnberg says, which has not been done in the south of France. He thinks they are about the human factor.
– We protect people at risk better now than at the beginning of the pandemic. Most importantly, we have better treatments, he says.
Jan Albert, a professor of microbiology at KI, hasn’t seen any convincing studies on milder mutations. He believes that increased testing means countries are discovering more cases.
– They are especially the youngest among whom the virus spreads and they do not get so sick.
Anders Tegnell, a state epidemiologist, cautions against drawing conclusions.
– The virus will not change in the same way around the world. There is a risk that we will also move towards higher mortality rates.
Photo: LOTTE FERNVALL
Swedish state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell.
“It can be in the air”
The best thing for a virus is to mutate and become more contagious. The coronavirus still appears to spread through a droplet infection, probably also through direct contact and the air, according to Arnberg.
– Now it is still a droplet infection, but it cannot be ruled out that certain mutations cause the virus to spread further through the air, says Niklas Arnberg.
The new coronavirus is an RNA virus and mutates faster than DNA viruses. This is bad news because they become resistant to both vaccines and antiviral agents more quickly, warns Niklas Arnberg.
– Today remdesivir has some effect, but there is a risk that the virus will mutate and become resistant to it. It is often necessary to offer several different media.
– Therefore, we need to do more research on viruses in general to develop more treatments for coronavirus but also for other viruses.
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