“The situation is especially worrying for China itself”

We know that the risk of the emergence of mutants is greater in immunocompromised people, particularly in HIV patients who are not or poorly treated with antivirals. In this category of population the virus can persist longer without being eliminated by the immune system, which can favor the appearance of mutations. At this level, some countries are more at risk than others. We can cite, for example, South Africa, which is particularly monitored at this level.