This mutation explains the rapid spread of the coronavirus within months of its appearance



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A mutation that occurred relatively soon after the new coronavirus appeared could explain how quickly it spread in early 2020. Although a new mutation is still possible, it shouldn’t, however, affect the effectiveness of vaccines.

Why has the new coronavirus spread so quickly around the world? Several scientific researchers now agree that a mutation in the virus could have made it even more contagious. Mutation is a natural phenomenon for all viruses, if it has no influence on the symptoms of the disease, it can still accelerate its progression.

“614G” is the name of the mutation in question that only made things worse. When Covid-19 is modified in this way, it can more easily penetrate the cells of the nose or throat, and thus infect patients more quickly. The virus can also multiply faster and thus spread more quickly in the body of an infected person.

The risk of a new mutation

This mutation, which appeared at the beginning of the year, therefore contributed to the explosion of Covid-19 cases in a few months, as explained by Vincent Enouf, virologist of the Institut Pasteur. “It is a virus that has really caught on thanks to its ability to spread quickly. For a virus to continue spreading in the population, it needs tricks, and the best of tricks is mutation. It is possible that another mutation could further improve this. virulence, we cannot tell in advance “.

Could these changes render future vaccines ineffective? The answer is no for now, virologists say, because vaccines are made to accommodate a broad spectrum of mutations.

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