According to their analysis, one strain featuring a mutation dubbed Spike D614G quickly out-competed other strains after it appeared in Europe. “The mutation Spike D614G is of urgent concern; it began spreading in Europe in early February, and when introduced to new regions it rapidly becomes the dominant form,” the authors write. ADThe Los Alamos scientists’ goal was to set up an early-warning system for identifying potentially important mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The Los Alamos scientists did not find evidence that patients with the mutant strain of the virus were more likely to be hospitalized. One criticism of the Los Alamos hypothesis is that there could be other explanations for why one strain of a virus becomes dominant.

Source: Washington Post May 05, 2020 23:47 UTC