Home » Health » it is CHANGED, now a more CONTAGIOUS STONE circulates, the G614. Massimo Ciccozzi speaks EPIDEMIOLOGIST »ILMETEO.it

it is CHANGED, now a more CONTAGIOUS STONE circulates, the G614. Massimo Ciccozzi speaks EPIDEMIOLOGIST »ILMETEO.it

Coronavirus: it is MUTED, now a more CONTAGIOUS STONE circulates, the G614. Massimo Ciccozzi speaks EPIDEMIOLOGIST

The strain that prevails today in the world is the “European” variant of Sars-Cov-2, different from the one that appeared in Wuhan. The new strain infects more people

Coronavirus has mutated A strain more contagious of Sars-Cov-2 is circulating around the world. It is a variant in the Covid-19 viral genome that has enhanced its ability to infect human cells. The news of the discovery of this variant had circulated weeks ago, thanks to the publication in some scientific journals of some international studies – including an Italian one, signed by Massimo Ciccozzi, head of the Unit of medical statistics and molecular epidemiology of the Campus Bio University -Physician of Rome, Roberto Cauda, ​​professor of infectious diseases at the Catholic University of Rome and Antonio Cassone, professor of microbiology at the University of Perugia.

The most contagious G614 variant

The variant identified has a name, it is called G614 and was more contagious in laboratory conditions and makes a small but effective modification to the Spike glycoprotein, used by the virus to penetrate the cells. Immediately after its appearance, the D614G variant was seen to quickly take the place of the dominant strain and various international sample analyzes showed “a significant shift in the viral population from the original to the new virus strain”.

In particular, the researchers’ data suggest that the new strain is associated with higher viral loads in the upper respiratory tract of patients with Covid-19. “This means – adds de Silva – that the ability of the virus to infect people could be increased. Fortunately at this stage, viruses with the G614 mutation do not appear to cause more serious diseases. “

The opinion of the Italian expert, Epidemiologist Massimo Ciccozzi

“The mutation that we identified and published a month ago – Massimo Ciccozzi, head of the Medical Statistics and Molecular Epidemiology Unit of the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, told Adnkronos – proved to be decisive in making Sars-Cov -2 more contagious, as shown by the study published in the international scientific journal ‘Cell’. But this does not mean that the virus has become worse or more aggressive. And a confirmation of the greater contagiousness of this strain compared to the Chinese one also comes from the outbreaks registered in the Peninsula. An ‘spy’ of the fact that the virus circulates and that, if the measures are not respected, it is easily transmitted ”. The good news is that “the antibodies developed against this strain can also cure the Chinese one”, and therefore the mutation will not affect the targeted therapies and vaccines under study

Massimo Ciccozzi Epidemiologist Massimo Ciccozzi Epidemiologist

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