RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A specific mutation of the novel coronavirus may considerably increase its ability to infect cells, according to a study by researchers in the United States.
Research may explain why outbreaks in some locations have not overburdened health systems as much as the outbreaks in New York and Italy, according to experts at Scripps Research.
The mutation, dubbed D614G, has increased the number of “spikes” in the coronavirus, part of what gives it its unique form. These spikes allow the virus to bind to the cells and infect them.
“The number – or density – of functional spikes in the virus is four to five times higher due to this mutation,” explained Hyeryun Choe, one of the study’s most senior authors.
The researchers say that whether or not this small mutation affects the severity of symptoms in infected people or increases mortality is not yet known.
Researchers conducting laboratory experiments say that more research, including controlled studies – widely regarded as a gold standard for clinical trials – needs to be done to confirm their findings in test tube trials.
Earlier research has shown that the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is changing and evolving as it adapts to human hosts. The D614G mutation, in particular, has been identified as an urgent concern because it appears to be emerging as the predominant mutation.
Currently, the Scripps Research study is under review by the scientific community and was released on Friday amid reports of their findings.
Source: UOL