Coronavirus is undergoing a mutation, but did not become more aggressive, said the expert of the world health organization (who) Maria van Kerkhove at a briefing in Geneva.
“Scientists around the world follow the chain of the genome of the coronavirus, of which more than 50 thousand, – said the expert. In February identified a mutation D614G. It was discovered in the earliest examples in Europe, Mexico, Brazil, and also in the Chinese city of Wuhan. This mutation have about 29% of the samples of coronavirus. However, there is no evidence that this leads to a more severe course of illness”.
At the same time, who announced the creation of a working group on the question of mutation of the coronavirus, because “mutations are a normal change in these viruses.” “It is expected that there will be changes as the evolution of the pandemic,” explained van Kerkhove.
Chief research specialist who Sumia Swaminathan confirmed that a mutation of coronavirus was expected. According to her, in the presence of a mutation D614G reproduction COVID-19 “can be faster”, and “this means that it can easily be transmitted” from infected people to healthy. However, the expert said, we are talking about the “virus grown in a lab”, and there is a big difference between the way viruses behave in the laboratory and in the environment where they infect people. “Scientists hold that mutation in the center of attention and keep track of it,” she concluded.
