U.S. Houston Methodist Hospital researchers recently analyzed the structure of the new coronavirus that infected the city’s inhabitants in two waves.
This time, they noticed that the study sample had mutated “which helps the virus to spread faster,” said Dr. Jim Musser, president of pathology and genomic medicine at the centre, cited by broadcaster ABC13.
On September 23rd published a study on the MedRxiv server, although it has not yet been reviewed by other researchers, the scientists examined more than 5,000 coronavirus genomes, which were collected in the early stages of the pandemic in the city of Houston and a second wave of more recent and ongoing infections.
After the analysis, the experts concluded that almost all strains present in the second wave went through a mutation, known as D614G, which increases the number of “peaks” in the coronavirus crown, thus allowing a more effective union with cells and consequently, faster infection.
However, although American researchers have determined that patients infected with the modified strain have higher amounts of COVID-19 in their bodies, no evidence has been found that this new mutation has made the virus more lethal.
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