An increasingly common mutation of the new coronavirus identified in Europe, North America and parts of Asia may be more infectious but appears to be less fatal, according to an infectious disease specialist.
In a statement granted to ReutersPaul Tambyah, a senior consultant at the National University of Singapore and president-elect of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, said evidence suggests that the proliferation of the new strain of the novel coronavirus, known as D614G, in some regions of the world coincided with a drop in case fatality rates, believing that this new form of the virus would be less deadly.
“It might be a good thing to have a more infectious but less deadly virus,” Tambyah said, explaining that most viruses tend to become less virulent as they mutate.
“It is in the interest of the virus to infect more people but not to kill them because a virus needs a host to feed and stay safe,” he says.
And to recall that scientists discovered the mutation last February. This new strain of the novel coronavirus has circulated in Europe and America without leading to more serious illness, explains Reuters which quotes a statement from the World Health Organization (WHO).
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