The Los Angeles Times detailed a preliminary scientific paper on Tuesday, bearing news that the coronavirus has mutated into a more contagious form than the version that originated in Wuhan, China. While plausible, the paper's case is being considered circumstantial by some scientists.
The paper was written by researchers from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, USA. It discusses how the authors have been studying how SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus behind COVID-19, has evolved since it was first reported in China. The researchers analyzed different genetic sequences of the virus taken from patients, focusing on a key part that allows the virus to infect cells, which is known as the spike protein.
Now the original strain of the SARS-CoV-2 sometimes carried a certain mutation in the spike protein called D614. However, in February, another form of the mutation had been discovered, which scientists called G614 or D614G. It began appearing in almost every region, first in Europe. What's alarming is that a familiar pattern had been observed by the team: G614 would appear and quickly supplant D614 within a matter of weeks.
The authors argue that the rapid spread of the G614 mutation demonstrates "the emergence of a more transmissible form of SARS-CoV-2."
A more contagious version of the coronavirus is certainly plausible, but the paper didn't escape the skepticism of some scientists, as reported by Gizmodo.
The digital publication conducted interviews of a few scientists, one of them being Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University. According to Dr. Rasmussen, the authors of the paper didn't do any experiments, so everything written in it is "all conjecture."
"There's no indication that this mutation makes the virus more transmissible, and they've done nothing to show that this mutation is functionally significant," the virologist said.
It's worth noting that research into COVID-19 is more progressive than any other scientific observations. It is, therefore, the responsibility of researchers and journalists to provide accurate information in a time when misinformation is worsening the pandemic.
The authors of the paper did note, however, that they felt an urgent need for an "early warning" to make the public aware of the potential emergence of a more aggressive virus.
It's a fact that viruses mutate all the time, and these mutations do affect how the virus interacts with human beings. For now, further studies and experiments are needed to solidify the preliminary findings of the Los Alamos research team. That being said, the pandemic is already scary, with or without the mutated virus.
