The virus that caused the code 19 is no longer the one that first appeared in China, but has transformed itself into something that has become more contagious to humans.
This was revealed in a medical study conducted in the United States.
The study compared the original virus to those infected with the new strain of 614G, which had a higher viral load in the nose and throat, which did not increase the severity of the disease, but increased the rate of transmission to others. Gone
"It's understandable," said Ralph Bryce, a professor at the University of North Carolina involved in the study.
The study found that the new strain of the virus modified its spike proteins, the part that helps infect human cells.
According to research, this change made this type of virus a better predator, as it travels from one cell to another within the body at lightning speed and quickly makes its own copies.
The virus first appeared in Europe in February 2020 and quickly became the dominant form of corona worldwide.
The research helps explain its spread around the world, and Professor Ralph said the virus may have been transmitted by bats and discovered its new host in human form.
No human was immune to this virus and that is what makes us its main target.
He said that viruses have a genetic advantage in that they make their copies very quickly and pass them from one host to another.
He said that it jumps from one to another, third and fourth, which has made it the most difficult virus so far.
Research published in the medical journal Journal of Science reinforces the findings made in recent months about this type of virus.
For the first time in its research, the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the United States drew the attention of experts to a new strain of the virus that was spreading rapidly.
The new study found that animals infected with this new strain of the virus transmit the disease to healthier animals faster than the original strains of the virus.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin took 16 mice and 6 of them 614 g, while others were infected with the original species.
Each infected rat was placed separately in a cage with a healthy rat, so that they could not touch each other but breathe in the same atmosphere.
On the second day of the experiment, 5 out of 8 people living with 614G infected mice became ill and began emitting viral particles themselves.
In contrast, none of the mice infected with the original strain became ill, but it took two more days for this to happen, proving that changes in the new strain of the virus increased the spread of the virus.
Professor Ralph Bryce and his team also sought to answer the question of whether changes in the structure of the virus would affect vaccines and other treatments.
To that end, they tested antibodies in the blood of people recovering from code 19 caused by new and old types of viruses.
But they did not find any significant difference in the antibodies to the virus in the two groups, which is good news that the genetic mutation will not have a negative effect on vaccines or treatment.
They also tested antibodies designed to treat the virus and appeared to be working fine.
Professor Ralph said the sub-vaccines currently being developed are based on the original type of virus, so that's good news.
He said current treatment and prevention efforts did not seem to be affected much by the change in the virus.
Corona viruses are a very stable type of virus as a group, they have a special molecule called proof reader, which ensures that the copies of the virus are replicated accurately.
But the emergence of new strains of the new corona virus because of this molecule has come as a surprise to scientists researching it.
In this regard, Professor Ralph and other scientists are closely monitoring the emergence of new strains of the virus in aquatic neoplasms or mink in Denmark and the Netherlands.
Professor Ralph said that research was needed to confirm this, but preliminary results indicated that the virus had apparently altered itself in such a way that it had been able to infect mink more effectively, while humans Also maintained the ability to influence.
He said that when the virus undergoes an evolutionary stage that enables it to circulate in a species of animal, it becomes very difficult to eradicate the virus.
