Experts Dump Cold Water On Theory That Coronavirus Mutated To Become More Powerful, Contagious
A preliminary study that was not peer-reviewed grabbed global attention this week in which researchers posited that there is a new, more deadly strain of the coronavirus circulating. Experts say there's little evidence that's the case. Scientists are trying to track down exactly how long the virus has been circulating in the human population, though.
The New York Times:
Did A Mutation Turbocharge The Coronavirus? Not Likely, Scientists Say
All viruses mutate, and the coronavirus is no exception. But there is no compelling evidence yet that it is evolving in a way that has made it more contagious or more deadly. A preprint study — posted online, but not published in a scientific journal and not yet peer-reviewed — has set the internet afire by suggesting otherwise. On April 30, a report by a team led by Bette Korber, a biologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, claimed to have found a mutation in the coronavirus that arose in Europe in February and then rapidly spread, becoming dominant as the virus was introduced into new countries. (Zimmer, 5/6)
Reuters:
New Coronavirus Spread Swiftly Around World From Late 2019, Study Finds
A genetic study of samples from more than 7,500 people infected with COVID-19 suggests the new coronavirus spread quickly around the world after it emerged in China sometime between October and December last year, scientists said on Wednesday. Scientists at University College London’s Genetics Institute found almost 200 recurrent genetic mutations of the new coronavirus - SARS-CoV-2 - which the UCL researchers said showed how it is adapting to its human hosts as it spreads. (Kelland, 5/6)
The New York Times:
‘Covid-19 Parties’ Probably Didn’t Involve Intentional Spread
Amid growing impatience over stay-at-home orders and rising unemployment, public health experts have worried that some people may try to expose themselves to the coronavirus in a risky bid to gain immunity. One fear is the prospect of “coronavirus parties,” much like the chickenpox parties of the past that preceded the development of a chickenpox vaccine, designed to deliberately spread infection. (Baker, 5/6)
And in other news —
The Wall Street Journal:
New York Survey Yields New Insights Into Who’s Getting Infected With Covid-19
A majority of the New Yorkers hospitalized in recent days for the novel coronavirus weren’t working and had been living in their homes, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday, offering new insights into who is getting infected with the virus. The number of new coronavirus patients entering hospitals in the state each day declined to around 600 this week from more than 900 last week, when the Democratic governor ordered the survey. It included 1,269 respondents at 113 hospitals earlier this week. (Vielkind and De Avila, 5/6)
WBUR:
Former CDC Official Warns Of 2nd COVID-19 Wave: Most Americans Are Still Susceptible
Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., officials have been warning about the prospect of a second wave. Some even say additional COVID-19 spikes in the country could be worse than the first wave. Dr. Ali Khan, former director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says he is confident that a second wave will happen. That's because, he says in an interview with NPR's Morning Edition, the vast majority of people in the U.S. are likely still at risk of contracting the virus. (Greene, 5/6)
