Researchers Indicate COVID-19 Mutation Has Made Virus More Contagious

[iguanaman]

Infection disease special Egon Ozer of the Feinberg School of Medicine has said that upon examining the genetic structure of coronavirus samples, it was evident there was a change in one of the amino acids that allowed a spike in protein on the surface of the virus.

In layman's terms, this change has allowed the virus to penetrate nearby cells easier, and as a result the virus can replicate faster and be passed on easier.

The mutation has since become the dominant form of the virus worldwide, the Washington Post reports, and has been given the name D614G. It has been detected in around 70 percent of the 50,000 genomes that have been uploaded to a scientific database. "The epidemiological study and our data together really explain why the [G variant's] spread in Europe and the U.S. really fast," added Scripps Research virologist Hyeryun Choe.

While the coronavirus cases that surfaced in Chicago in January maintained the same genetic signatures as the cases in Wuhan, China just weeks prior, it has since mutated into something more infectious. "We were shocked," said NYU geneticist Neville Sanjana, adding that experiments have shown the mutation is more efficient at entering human cells. "Voilà! It was just this huge increase in viral transduction."

All I can say is hold on to your hats.....This is not good news. Just when you think things could not get worse there is this. Please people, wear your masks in public. Our hospitals will be overwhelmed if you do not.

Researchers Indicate COVID-19 Mutation Has Made Virus More Contagious | Complex

Ir also explains this.....

At least 85 people connected with visit to Michigan bar test positive for coronavirus

 

[Lursa]

All I can say is hold on to your hats.....This is not good news. Please people wear your masks in public.

Researchers Indicate COVID-19 Mutation Has Made Virus More Contagious | Complex

Ugh. It could be shifting in the direction of the rhinoviruses...the 'common cold' that continually shifts just enough to be highly contagious but generally not lethal. There's no vaccine, no herd immunity. But the lethality for those is HIGHLY reduced.

Well, that's a better shift than towards more virulent for sure.

This is the barely coherent and grammatically inept speech of a man who desperately wants to be able to claim that he "cured coronavirus."

That's it, in a nutshell. When we do get a handle on this crisis, he wants to be able to pull out footage and declare "I called it! I said use this! I said try this! I told them to do this, it was my idea!" He's just doing it with lots of stupid stuff because he doesnt want to miss an opportunity. He's afraid 'the big one' will be mentioned and he wont get credit for it.

It's all about declaring himself the savior of the cv crisis and we'll hear all about it, esp in his campaign. (Which is basically each of his press briefings these days) --- Lursa

 

[AmNat]

All I can say is hold on to your hats.....This is not good news. Please people, wear your masks in public. Our hospitals will be overwhelmed if you do not.

Researchers Indicate COVID-19 Mutation Has Made Virus More Contagious | Complex

Natural selection favors viruses that are more infectious over those that are less infectious. This has been the case for billions of years.

 

[Lursa]

Natural selection favors viruses that are more infectious over those that are less infectious. This has been the case for billions of years.

They shift in those values tho, depending on the availability of hosts...and other factors. If a virus is highly contagious AND highly virulent...it starts killing off it's food. And then it starts to shift towards being less lethal so that it doesnt starve. It's a common cycle, one that its believed the Spanish Flu followed.

Microbes have many strategies. The 'common cold' rhinoviruses exploit one. Influenzas exploit another...and thus we're always on the look out for the next Spanish Flu. Ebola exploits a different strategy. :shrug:

The best thing to do is to eliminate as much food as possible to minimize as much as possible any opportunistic mutations and starve it completely. Meaning more social distancing, more masks, more separation.

This is the barely coherent and grammatically inept speech of a man who desperately wants to be able to claim that he "cured coronavirus."

That's it, in a nutshell. When we do get a handle on this crisis, he wants to be able to pull out footage and declare "I called it! I said use this! I said try this! I told them to do this, it was my idea!" He's just doing it with lots of stupid stuff because he doesnt want to miss an opportunity. He's afraid 'the big one' will be mentioned and he wont get credit for it.

It's all about declaring himself the savior of the cv crisis and we'll hear all about it, esp in his campaign. (Which is basically each of his press briefings these days) --- Lursa

 

[iguanaman]

Natural selection favors viruses that are more infectious over those that are less infectious. This has been the case for billions of years.

Yes but it is all based on luck and we got the short straw with this one.

 

[iguanaman]

Ugh. It could be shifting in the direction of the rhinoviruses...the 'common cold' that continually shifts just enough to be highly contagious but generally not lethal. There's no vaccine, no herd immunity. But the lethality for those is HIGHLY reduced.

Well, that's a better shift than towards more virulent for sure.

There was no mention of any change in mortality rates from the new strain or how long this mutation has been prevalent. I hope you are right about it diminishing in mortality as it get more contagious.

 

[Excon]

 

[AmNat]

They shift in those values tho, depending on the availability of hosts...and other factors. If a virus is highly contagious AND highly virulent...it starts killing off it's food. And then it starts to shift towards being less lethal so that it doesnt starve. It's a common cycle, one that its believed the Spanish Flu followed.

Yes, natural selection favors viruses that are less likely to kill their hosts. It also favors less likely to cause obvious symptoms, as people without obvious symptoms are more likely to spread a virus. Assuming that they aren't hiding in their homes for some reason.

Microbes have many strategies.

Microbes do not strategize. They mutate randomly. Microbes with beneficial mutations tend to out compete microbes with harmful mutations.

Yes but it is all based on luck and we got the short straw with this one.

The coronavirus is not responsible for the current mass hysteria convulsing our society.

 

[Lursa]

Yes, natural selection favors viruses that are less likely to kill their hosts. It also favors less likely to cause obvious symptoms, as people without obvious symptoms are more likely to spread a virus. Assuming that they aren't hiding in their homes for some reason.

Not necessarily. If there is enough 'meat' their reproduction can favor very high virulence. It all depends on total environmental factors and the virus's genome. Epidemiology is basically population dynamics on a microscale. That's why I love it.

Microbes do not strategize. They mutate randomly. Microbes with beneficial mutations tend to out compete microbes with harmful mutations.

There's nothing conscious about it, it's all environmental pressures/stresses, like reproduction and evolution for anything.

This is the barely coherent and grammatically inept speech of a man who desperately wants to be able to claim that he "cured coronavirus."

That's it, in a nutshell. When we do get a handle on this crisis, he wants to be able to pull out footage and declare "I called it! I said use this! I said try this! I told them to do this, it was my idea!" He's just doing it with lots of stupid stuff because he doesnt want to miss an opportunity. He's afraid 'the big one' will be mentioned and he wont get credit for it.

It's all about declaring himself the savior of the cv crisis and we'll hear all about it, esp in his campaign. (Which is basically each of his press briefings these days) --- Lursa

 

[iguanaman]

Yes, natural selection favors viruses that are less likely to kill their hosts. It also favors less likely to cause obvious symptoms, as people without obvious symptoms are more likely to spread a virus. Assuming that they aren't hiding in their homes for some reason.



Microbes do not strategize. They mutate randomly. Microbes with beneficial mutations tend to out compete microbes with harmful mutations.



The coronavirus is not responsible for the current mass hysteria convulsing our society.

Really? Then what has caused the 125,000 American deaths in the last 4 months? A figment of your imagination?

 

[AmNat]

Really? Then what has caused the 125,000 American deaths in the last 4 months? A figment of your imagination?

Somewhere around a million Americans die every four months.

 

[Thoreau72]

Natural selection favors viruses that are more infectious over those that are less infectious. This has been the case for billions of years.

I wonder if that dynamic applies also to an engineered virus?

 

[AmNat]

I wonder if that dynamic applies also to an engineered virus?

An engineered virus could be different in its original qualities than a natural one, but it would evolve under the same pressures as any other.

 

[iguanaman]

Somewhere around a million Americans die every four months.

And a million + 125,000 died in the last 4 months because of covid19. Your point is?

 

[AmNat]

And a million + 125,000 died in the last 4 months because of covid19. Your point is?

The point is that it is not healthy to spend so much time worrying about a mild respiratory virus.

 

[iguanaman]

The point is that it is not healthy to spend so much time worrying about a mild respiratory virus.

And you have just made it clear that you are a part of the problem. Denial is not just a river in Egypt.

 

[AmNat]

And you have just made it clear that you are a part of the problem. Denial is not just a river in Egypt.

This is what I'm talking about. It's not good for you to spend all your time worrying about the possibility of catching a mild disease. You should consider taking up a hobby.

 

[iguanaman]

This is what I'm talking about. It's not good for you to spend all your time worrying about the possibility of catching a mild disease. You should consider taking up a hobby.

You should wake up and smell the death in the air. There is nothing "mild" abut dying from an infectious disease.

 

[Thoreau72]

And you have just made it clear that you are a part of the problem. Denial is not just a river in Egypt.

You have misidentified "the problem".

The problem is that we have all been deceived over these last several months by a long known corrupt mainstream media.

Another problem is that so many have not yet figured that out. Humans are a herd animal that has been stampeded by skilled propagandists. For some it will take years for them to calm down and stop stampeding.

 

[iguanaman]

You have misidentified "the problem".

The problem is that we have all been deceived over these last several months by a long known corrupt mainstream media.

Another problem is that so many have not yet figured that out. Humans are a herd animal that has been stampeded by skilled propagandists. For some it will take years for them to calm down and stop stampeding.

Stop the foolishness. This is not a joke and you can't spin it as one.

 

[AmNat]

You should wake up and smell the death in the air. There is nothing "mild" abut dying from an infectious disease.

Nearly ten thousand people die in the US every die.

 

[iguanaman]

Nearly ten thousand people die in the US every die.

So you are saying you do not care how many people are killed by this virus? You are as heartless as Trump then. He made it clear that he only cares about himself too.

 

[AmNat]

So you are saying . . .

If you do not remember what I've said, I would recommend searching this thread for my posts. They're all in writing.

 

[iguanaman]

If you do not remember what I've said, I would recommend searching this thread for my posts. They're all in writing.

In every post you have ignored the deaths caused by this pandemic by saying people die all the time so this is nothing. It is as stupid as it gets. If life was just you would see personally what heartache this virus has caused. People like you deserve to suffer.

 

[Bodi]

And a million + 125,000 died in the last 4 months because of covid19. Your point is?

You are good at math...