- Doctors in Brazil found an even more dangerous type of coronavirus infection, a dual infection with two separate strains.
- The researchers detailed two cases of COVID-19 with people nearly 30 years old infected with the Brazilian mutation (P.2) and a different strain circulating in Brazil.
- These coinfections could lead to the creation of additional mutations, the researchers said.
Tens of millions of people worldwide have already received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and several million have gone through the full two-dose regimen. In addition, two other vaccine manufacturers have just announced positive Phase 3 results for additional candidates for vaccines that could soon be authorized for emergency use: Novavax and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. But COVID-19 has also changed, just in time for vaccines. After all, the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates like any other microorganism.
The last weeks of 2020 brought news of two highly infectious mutant coronavirus strains, including the UK (B.1.1.7) and South African (B.1.351) versions. News of a Brazilian strain (P2 or B.1.1.28) was reduced in early January and governments around the world have begun taking steps to reduce the spread of these highly infectious variations. This includes additional genetic testing to understand how the new strains spread to their countries, which has allowed some researchers to discover an even more dangerous coronavirus infection that can occur.
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The coronavirus has been mutant since the beginning. Some studies showed that the version that arrived in Europe and the United States in March 2020 was more infectious than the one in Wuhan. Scientists have been following the mutations throughout the pandemic to understand how the virus evolves and make sure vaccines would work. Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna drugs continue to be effective against the UK strain, while the South African strain may reduce its effectiveness. Johnson & Johnson drug was tested in trials against the South African mutation and the company provided impressive efficacy against this strain.
With more researchers monitoring the new mutations, it is not surprising that doctors in Brazil have identified two people infected simultaneously with two different mutated coronavirus strains. This is a worrying development, indicating that people could take more than one strain from their communities, with each able to replicate inside the body to such an extent that the two different versions would appear in tests. genetic.
Brazilian researchers published their findings in a study that was not peer-reviewed, per Reuters. The two patients in question were in their thirties and tested positive for the P.2 mutation and a different strain. His symptoms were mild. One person developed a dry cough, while the other experienced coughing, sore throat and headache. None of the people required hospitalization.
Research indicates that different variants of the same virus may coexist within the same host, and this phenomenon may favor other mutations.
“These co-infections can generate combinations and generate new variants even faster than has been happening,” said the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Fernando Spilki Reuters. “It would be another evolutionary pathway for the virus.”
It may not be the first time that several strains of the virus have inhabited the same host. It could be a common occurrence in places where multiple versions of coronavirus spread to communities. Researchers are now conducting more genetic testing than before, as they look for the most troubling strains. In turn, this would increase the chances of discovering these dual infections.
It is unclear whether any of the mutations in the UK, South Africa or Brazil could have developed from dual infections that were not detected. A few weeks ago, researchers in Italy found a local mutation that developed inside an immunocompromised patient who tested positive for COVID-19 for several months. The researchers speculated that this mutation could be the forerunner of the UK strain, but could not prove it.
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Chris Smith began writing about gadgets as a hobby, and before he knew it, he was sharing his views on technology issues with readers around the world. Whenever he doesn’t write about gadgets, he fails to stay away from them, even though he tries desperately. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.