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The Six Strains of SARS-CoV-2

posted by martyb on Tuesday August 04 2020, @11:15PM   
from the six-degrees-to-Kevin-Bacon dept.

upstart writes in with an IRC submission:

The six strains of SARS-CoV-2:

"The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is presumably already optimized to affect human beings, and this explains its low evolutionary change," explains Federico Giorgi, a researcher at Unibo and coordinator of the study. "This means that the treatments we are developing, including a vaccine, might be effective against all the virus strains."

Currently, there are six strains of coronavirus. The original one is the L strain, that appeared in Wuhan in December 2019. Its first mutation—the S strain—appeared at the beginning of 2020, while, since mid-January 2020, we have had strains V and G. To date strain G is the most widespread: it mutated into strains GR and GH at the end of February 2020.

Globally, strains G, GH and GR are constantly increasing. Strain S can be found in some restricted areas in the U.S. and Spain. The L and V strains are gradually disappearing.

Journal Reference:
Mercatelli, Daniele, Giorgi, Federico M.. Geographic and Genomic Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 Mutations, Frontiers in Microbiology (DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01800)

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Original Submission

• Re:That's one hell of a presumption (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2020, @12:18PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2020, @12:18PM (#1031661)

  common cold, which is also a +ssRNA virus

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_cold#Viruses [wikipedia.org]

  The common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. The most commonly implicated virus is a rhinovirus (30–80%), a type of picornavirus with 99 known serotypes.[29][30] Other commonly implicated viruses include human coronaviruses (≈ 15%),[31][32] influenza viruses (10–15%),[33] adenoviruses (5%),[33] human respiratory syncytial virus (orthopneumovirus), enteroviruses other than rhinoviruses, human parainfluenza viruses, and human metapneumovirus.[34] Frequently more than one virus is present.[35] In total, more than 200 viral types are associated with colds

  So not sure about that single virus you talk about when in fact there are HUNDREDS of viruses that are the "common cold".

  Covid is a +ssRNA virus. They are well known to mutate heavily and quickly.

  Viruses don't mutate for no reason. They mutate when there are problems with their duplication. Some viruses don't mutate at all, even when there is a vaccine against them, like the "perfect" measles virus.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive-sense_single-stranded_RNA_virus [wikipedia.org]

  Dengue is on the list there and it has a vaccine. So I'm not sure about that vaccine talk. Sounds to me like an arm-chair virologist (like me). Not every virus mutates just because it's a +ssRNA virus.

  Parent

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