A new study has claimed that researchers have discovered seven different variants of the Coronavirus in the United States, with a mutation in the same gene expression.
It was discovered in states across the country, and it is not yet clear whether the breeds are more contagious, but researchers are concerned.
"There's obviously something going on with this mutation," Jeremy Kamel, a virologist at Louisiana State University's Shreveport Center for Health Sciences, told The New York Times.
He explained that he was arranging coronavirus samples when he observed the new variants, which contain mutations on the amino acid itself. The paper reported that scientists are concerned that mutations may make it easier for the virus to enter human cells.
Kamel said that all viruses belong to the same lineage, and after introducing the genome into an online database used by other scientists, he learned that scientists in New Mexico also found the same variable with the mutation itself.
As Americans anxiously watch variants first identified in the UK and South Africa spread in the U.S., scientists are finding a number of new variants that originated here. https://t.co/LzofnTAMaW
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 14, 2021
"I would be very reluctant to give a location of origin to any of these breeds right now," said Emma Hoodcroft, an epidemiologist at the University of Bern, who was the co-author of the new study. The strain discovered by Kamel dates back to December 1, and samples from New Mexico date back to October, but it is unclear when these variables actually began. Samples have emerged from all over the country with this variant, but with a limited sequence of genomes, it is difficult to understand how widespread these mutant viruses are.
The study was not reviewed by colleagues. Experts told The Times that additional trials were needed to assess whether these mutations affect transmission or infection.
Other more contagious variables were detected elsewhere.
A recent analysis found that the variant first discovered in the UK, known as B.1.1.7, is 35 to 45% more transferable than other strains in the US.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted that it would be the most common type of coronavirus by March.
Source: Science Alert
0 Comments