Coronavirus has accumulated several genetic mutations - one of which may have made it more contagious, a new study has warned.
Researchers from the University of Texas, Austin, have analysed more than 5,000 Covid-19 patients to understand how the SARS-CoV-2 virus has mutated.
They identified one mutation, called D614G, which appears to make the virus even more contagious. Dr Ilya Finkelstein, co-author of the study, said: “The virus is mutating due to a combination of neutral drift - which just means random genetic changes that don't help or hurt the virus - and pressure from our immune systems.” The researchers’ analysis revealed that during the initial wave of the pandemic, 71% of Covid-19 patients had the D614G mutation.
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