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There has yet to be a cure for COVID-19 and until then, millions of people remain infected while hundreds of thousands have died from the disease. Despite fears that the coronavirus may mutate, scientists hope that it would not be the case.
Despite scientists already having identified mutations of coronavirus over time since it first broke out in China in December 2019, this virus’ mutation may not really be more dangerous than what scientists have feared it to be. According to Dr. Jeremy Rossner, the mutation of the coronavirus into other versions of itself, while it may mean becoming more contagious or bigger in growth, it will not necessarily mean it would become more fatal.
“For SARS-COV-2, its ability to spread asymptomatically and pre-symptomatically is what has made the pandemic much more difficult to control and has greatly increased the number of infections,” wrote Dr. Rossner for Science Focus Magazine. “Causing serious disease is not always in a virus’ ‘best interest’” added Dr. Rossner.
It should be noted that coronaviruses could accumulate mutations but at a slower pace as it undergoes a long process of “proofreading” its replicated genome. The longer a pandemic goes on, the more mutations the virus will go through as well. In his piece, Dr. Rossner cited the mutation of the D614G SARS-COV-2 that was first classified in February, which resulted in higher transmissibility yet did not have any impact on its severity. At the same time, mutations of the virus may also have the opposite effect in terms of transmissibility as it could also cause the spread to slow down.
Meanwhile, several companies are already undergoing trials for a possible vaccine or cure for COVID-19. A group of scientists looked into the pandemic where they found a link between patients with severe cases of coronavirus and a vitamin D deficiency. Their study that has yet to be peer-reviewed, analyzed global daily reports of deaths and recoveries from COVID-19 where they found a connection between the severe form of coronavirus and latitude. Specifically, in the northern hemisphere of the world where vitamin D deficiency can be seasonally produced more fatalities from COVID-19.
