UK researchers gain more insight into coronavirus mutations

By BBN Staff: Researchers from Cambridge University in London have discovered that there are three strains of the Coronavirus that are prevalent in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The researchers mapped the genetic history of the virus for the period December 2019 to March 2020 and identified a parent strain (Type A) as well as a Type B and Type C variants.

The researchers concluded that the Type A strain made the cross-species jump from bats to humans but it was the Type B strain that was mainly responsible for the ground zero outbreak on Wu Han, China.

An article published in the Daily Mail in the UK noted that “Results showed type A was the most prevalent in Australia and the US, which has recorded more than 400,000 COVID-19 cases. Two-thirds of American samples were type A – but infected patients mostly came from the West Coast, and not New York.”

Lead researcher Dr. Peter Forster and his team also found that the UK was mostly being bombarded with type B cases, with three-quarters of samples testing as that strain. They discovered a similar pattern in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Meanwhile, the Type C, a mutation of Type B, was found to have been spread to Europe through Singapore.

Previous studies conducted on coronavirus mutations said that the current mutations were not any more lethal than the parent strain and that it would take years for the mutations to evolve into something drastically different from the parent strain.

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.

© 2020, BreakingBelizeNews.com. Content is copyrighted and requires written permission for reprinting in online or print media. Theft of content without permission/payment is punishable by law.