Coronavirus mutation that has become the dominant strain worldwide may be MORE contagious than the original – accounting for over 85% of global cases
Researchers looked at the coronavirus strain of more than 5,000 Houston cases
Found that 99.9 per cent of the strains discovered were the D614G variant
This appeared in Europe in February and rapidly became dominant globally
Other studies have found this strain is more infectious than the original variant
By JOE PINKSTONE
DAILYMAIL.COM
2 November 2020
A mutated version of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus which now dominates the world may be more infectious than the original version.
A study of more than 5,000 Covid-19 patients at a hospital in Houston, Texas, revealed that 99.9 per cent of infections were caused by this altered version of the virus, called D614G.
The finding adds credence to the theory the mutation, which accounts for 85 per cent of global cases, is more contagious than the original strain.
D614G is by far the most common strain of coronavirus affecting humans worldwide and first appeared in February in Europe.
International travel allowed this variant to spread across the continent and into the Americas, Oceania and Asia within weeks.
Scientists are still trying to determine why the D614G strain has become the principle form of SARS-CoV-2, and think it may be due to the mutation increasing the amount of virus in the upper respiratory tract.
This makes it more likely to spread when the infected person talks, coughs or sneezes.
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