Researchers have discovered seven variants of the coronavirus in the US, with a mutation in the same genetic letter, a new study finds.
They were discovered in states across the country, and it’s not yet clear if the strains are more contagious, but researchers are concerned.
“There’s clearly something going on with this mutation,” said Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport. The New York Times
Kamil, the co-author of the new study, said he was sequencing coronavirus samples when he noticed the new variants, which have mutations on the same amino acid. Scientists are concerned because the mutations could allow the virus to enter human cells, the Times reported.
Kamil said the viruses all belonged to the same lineage, and after entering the genome into an online database used by other scientists, he found that there were scientists in New Mexico who also found the same variant with the same mutation.
The lineage Kamil discovered dates back to December 1 and the New Mexico samples date back to October, but it’s unclear when these variants actually started. Samples from all over the country have surfaced with this variant, but with limited genome sequencing, it is difficult to understand how common these mutated viruses are.
“I would be quite hesitant at this point to give an origin location for any of these lines,” Emma Hodcroft, an epidemiologist at the University of Bern and a co-author of the new study, told the Times.
The study has yet to be peer reviewed. Experts told Times that additional experiments are needed to assess whether these mutations affect transmission or morbidity.
Other more contagious variants have been discovered elsewhere. A recent analysis found that a variant first discovered in the UK known as B.1.1.7 is 35 to 45 percent more transmissible than other strains spreading in the US, while a new review by scientists The UK government discovered that the same variant can be 30 to 70 percent more deadly than the original coronavirus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has predicted it will be the most common coronavirus variant in March.
This article was originally published by Business Insider.
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