The scientists around the world are in a constant effort of finding the exact reason for the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak which has created panic at the global level. Now, a new study by the Chinese Researchers revealed that two separate types of the novel coronavirus — one more aggressive than the other — could be infecting people during the sweeping outbreak.
The study was conducted by researchers from Peking University’s School of Life Sciences and the Institute Pasteur of Shanghai under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. According to the study, the infection has evolved into two major types, designated L and S. Among these, ‘L’, the more aggressive was more prevalent during the early stages of the outbreak in Wuhan and was the cause for about 70 per cent of analyzed strains. The other one ‘S’ was considered less aggressive and linked to 30 per cent of those strains. But later, after early January, the prevalence of the L type decreased and since then, the S type, which is considered an older version of the coronavirus has become more common.
According to the researchers, this could have to do with the rush to treat patients infected with the L type virus, whose symptoms are far easier to detect than the weaker, milder S type.
“If the L type is more aggressive than the S type, why did the relative frequency of the L type decrease compared to the S type in other places after the initial breakout in Wuhan? One possible explanation is that, since January 2020, the Chinese central and local governments have taken rapid and comprehensive prevention and control measures,” they added.
“These human intervention efforts might have caused severe selective pressure against the L type, which might be more aggressive and spread more quickly. The S type, on the other hand, might have experienced weaker selective pressure by human intervention, leading to an increase in its relative abundance among the SARS-CoV-2 viruses,” they added further.
They also added that more needs to be done to ensure that even the weaker type is detected as soon as possible to minimize its spread.
Meanwhile, the JAMA Network has published a research letter on Air, Surface Environmental, and Personal Protective Equipment Contamination by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) From a Symptomatic Patient. The study describes that the coronaviruses have been implicated in nosocomial outbreaks with environmental contamination as a route of transmission. Similarly, the nosocomial transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been reported. However, the mode of transmission and the extent of environmental contamination are unknown.
Source: The New York Post, JAMA
Ong SWX, Tan YK, Chia PY, et al. Air, Surface Environmental, and Personal Protective Equipment Contamination by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) From a Symptomatic Patient. JAMA. Published online March 04, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.3227