American and British scientists have made the alarming discovery of a virulent mutation in SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2), the virus that causes COVID-19. Today it is the dominant tribe worldwide. This mutation is far more contagious than the original corona virus that came from China in November 2019. It also recombines with locally circulating strains to cause multi-strain infections.
These discoveries were detailed in a 33-page report: “The spike mutation pipeline shows the emergence of a more transferable form of SARS-CoV-2.” The report was developed by a team of researchers from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, Duke University in North Carolina and the NHS Foundation Trust of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals in the UK.
It was published on BioRxiv, a pre-print website where studies are shared before being peer reviewed. The study is the first to document a mutation in SARS-CoV-2 that appears to make it more contagious, Dr. David Montefiori, a scientist from Duke University who was part of the reporting team and has been working on an HIV vaccine for 30 years.
It identified this dominant SARS-CoV-2 strain as “D614G” and urgently called for attention from the world scientific community. The mutation spread across Europe in early February and quickly became the dominant form when it was introduced to new regions. D614G is responsible for altering the protein tips of the virus, which allow SARS-CoV-2 to bind to human cells.
D614G clearly does something that gives it an evolutionary advantage over its predecessor and promotes its rapid spread. Another scientist called D614G a “classic case of Darwinian evolution”.
“The incidence of D614G is increasing alarmingly, indicating a fitness advantage over the original Wuhan strain that allows it to spread faster,” the study said.
It is still unknown whether this mutated virus can explain regional differences in the COVID-19 infection rate in different parts of the world.
“The story is worrying as a mutated form of the virus develops very quickly and becomes the dominant pandemic in March,” said study leader Dr. Bette Korber, computer biologist at Los Alamos. “When viruses with this mutation enter a population, they quickly start to take over the local epidemic and are therefore more communicable.”
The dominance of the new tribe over its predecessors shows a higher infectivity, although exactly the reason remains unknown. The study also identified 14 other spike mutations. It warned that mutations over time could give the SARS-CoV-2 selective benefits in transmission or resistance to clinical interventions.
According to the study, the mutation could “make individuals susceptible to a second infection”.
It is possible that D614G changes the tip in some way that helps the virus to dodge the immune system, Montefiori believes. “It is hypothetical. We take a very close look at that. “
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