The coronavirus mutation continues all through the course of this pandemic. Experts suggest that it is becoming more contagious than before. The cases in the US are up again, different from the trends seen for a few weeks earlier.
According to a new study in the US, 5,000 genetic sequences of coronavirus continues to mutate as it spreads throughout the population. According to the study, the mutation of the virus made it lethal and changed the effects as well. The virus now seems to be easier to catch. According to experts, all viruses have mutations, but most of them are insignificant.
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Coronavirus mutation
A virologist from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases named David Morens said that new studies shouldn’t be over-interpreted. He also noted that COVID-19 might be responding to public health interventions like social distancing. These things are barriers to the possibility of transmission and contagion. As the virus becomes more infectious, it is crucial to get around such obstacles.
David Morens suggests that coronavirus mutation can continue even after vaccines are available. Thus, the vaccine needs to be continuously tinkered, just like the flu vaccine comes with changes every year.
Rise in the number of cases in the US
More than twenty states have gone through a 5% increase in the number of coronavirus cases over the last two weeks – Johns Hopkins University records this data.
There were 38,204 new COVID-19 cases in the US on Wednesday. It brought the total number to 6.9 million. There have been more than 200,000 deaths due to coronavirus as per records on Tuesday. Per day, the number of fatalities is anywhere between 300 to 1000. Moreover, the United States still leads with the highest number of COVID-19 cases and the death toll.
The latest rise in cases were majorly seen in the Midwest and West. It includes states like Wyoming, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Montana with a significant surge. There has been a large number of surges in Texas. On Monday, it reported with more than 11,000 fresh cases.
According to health experts, it is early for them to confirm if the rise is due to the consequence of the Labor Day holiday get-togethers during early September. Another reason can be cooler weather in several regions that make people go indoors. Health experts warn about both such events, and also due to the reopening of college campuses and K-12 schools.
Before a Congress hearing on Wednesday, the director of CDC, Dr. Robert Redfield, stressed on the data, which records young Americans seeing a rise in coronavirus cases. As per Redfield, people between the age of 18 and 25 have seen a 25% rise in cases, which is more than any other age group. According to the director, more than 90% of Americans are susceptible to coronavirus. Moreover, it crushes belief about the widespread of immune development.
