According to a study led by scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, a new strain of the Coronavirus has been identified, which is much more contagious than the earlier versions of the virus that spread during the early stages of the pandemic. Reportedly, this strain has become dominant worldwide lately.
The strain is dominant in many countries
Having appeared first in February, the strain migrated quickly from Europe to the United States and since mid-March, this strain has been dominant in various countries. The research is based on the genetic sequence of the earlier strains. It involves analysis of more than 6000 Coronvirus sequences from around the world collected by the ‘Global Initiative for Sharing All Influenza Data’, an organization based out of Germany.
It has been revealed that this strain spreads faster than the earlier versions and also makes the patients vulnerable to a second infection. Also, this strain reportedly affected far more people than the earlier strains that came out of Wuhan, China.
The report was posted on BioRxiv
BioRxiv, a website that researchers are using to post their work for faster collaboration in work related to COVID-19, has hosted the 33-page report written by the scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The new mutation, as per the report, affects the now-infamous spikes on the exterior of the coronavirus, which allow it to enter human respiratory cells. The authors have felt that an early warning is required so that vaccines and drug development would be effective against the mutated strain.
Source: Los Angeles Times
