(Newser)
– As scientists and researchers work to provide everyone with information about the new coronavirus as quickly as possible, they must ensure that the data is useful and accurate. That daunting task is being complicated by the puzzling and alarming mutation of the virus, the Washington Post reports. It’s a change that doesn’t seem to make the disease more dangerous, but researchers say it could be making the virus more contagious. Several studies that have not been peer-reviewed suggest that, and another indicates that patients with the mutated version have more viruses in their systems, making them more at risk of passing it on to others. But there are still no certainties. The mutation has appeared in patients around the world.
Researchers in Florida found that the mutation increased the number of virus peak proteins fivefold, according to the New York Times. That change would make viruses with the D614G mutation much more likely to infect cells. “There are very clear differences between the two viruses in the experiment,” said one researcher. A specialist in Australia called the work “the best evidence that the D614G mutation increases infectivity” of the new coronavirus. Other scientists are unsure and say more research is needed. One in California has not seen the mutated version dominate. “If one really could extend significantly better than the other, then we would expect to see a difference here,” he said, “and we don’t.” (Read more coronavirus stories.)
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