CNN: Study confirms new version of coronavirus spreads faster, but doesn't make people sicker

[USALiberal]

A global study has found strong evidence that a new form of the coronavirus has spread from Europe to the US. The new mutation makes the virus more likely to infect people but does not seem to make them any sicker than earlier variations of the virus, an international team of researchers reported Thursday.

"It is now the dominant form infecting people," Erica Ollmann Saphire of the La Jolla Institute for Immunology and the Coronavirus Immunotherapy Consortium, who worked on the study, told CNN.

"This is now the virus."

The study, published in the journal Cell, builds on some earlier work the team did that was released on a preprint server earlier in the year. Shared information on genetic sequences had indicated that a certain mutant version of the virus was taking over.

Now the team has not only checked more genetic sequences, but they have also run experiments involving people, animals and cells in lab dishes that show the mutated version is more common and that it's more infectious than other versions.

More at https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/02/health/coronavirus-mutation-spread-study/index.html

[BigmanPigman]

1. I think I heard that the mutation will not

affect the future of the vaccine. It should remain just as effective for the mutations. I hope so.

[USALiberal]

2. That is good news. nt

[ecstatic]

3. How? I thought the border was closed? Nt

[Chainfire]

4. I am not a scientist

but it seems to me that the larger number of people who become infected, the larger the chance for mutation. You have to wonder if the virus couldn't go through a random mutation that would make it more deadly? One more reason for people to mask up and stay the **** at home!

[C_U_L8R]

5. Sicker? The old one killed you!

[USALiberal]

6. Good point. nt

[tanyev]

8. Rumor has it this variant will turn you into a newt.

[Laelth]

7. More infectious than the original variant?

That’s not what I wanted to hear. The original variant spread around the globe in record time.

Lowkey f* 2020.



-Laelth

[WePurrsevere]

9. Spreads faster, not LESS deadly...

So this means MORE people can get sick, disabled and possibly DIE from it. "doesn't make people sicker" How much sicker than DEAD can you get? Geesh

[Baclava]

10. Did anyone read the actual study published in Cell? The last data points were from Apr 1 - May 19.

Its already been out there for many months, and as the study itself says "transmissability and infectiousness may not be synonymous"

Concluion: We cannot be certain the new strain is more transmissible and we dont expect the new variant will affect our control measures or make individual infections worse.



Thats nice