Scientists in Florida say a genetic mutation in the new coronavirus increases its ability to infect cells
News24xx.com - Scientists at Scripps Research in Florida say a genetic mutation in the new coronavirus increases its ability to infect cells. And it explains why outbreaks in Northern Italy and New York were larger than ones seen earlier in the pandemic.
From the database that runs by the National Institutes of Health, the mutation, designated D614G, increased the number of the virus uses to bind to and break into cells and made them more stable.
Researchers found in the study undergoing a review that mutated virus was seen infrequently in March, but by April accounted for some 65 percent of cases submitted from around the world.
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In test-tube experiments, the mutated virus was roughly 9 times more efficient at breaking into cells and infecting them.
"The number – or density – of functional spikes on the virus is 4 or 5 times greater due to this mutation," said study co-author Hyeryun Choe. "but it is hard to believe they do not have some effect," said
Michael Farzan, a lead researcher, " It is not clear to what extent the changes affect symptoms and transmission. This particular virus changes slowly, so I wouldn't expect anything as dramatic as D614G for a while. We don't expect the virus to become more deadly, just more efficient at propagating itself."
The researchers said diseased lungs more receptive to coronavirus infection. New data helps explain why people with respiratory conditions appear to be more vulnerable to coronavirus infections.
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Known that the virus breaks into cells via a receptor protein on the cell surface called ACE2. People with conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary hypertension, and smokers have more of the ACE2 receptors on their lung cells than healthy people do, researchers found.
In their analysis of lung cell genes from 700 people with these conditions, they also found that other proteins in addition to ACE2 impacted the "viral life cycle." This means genes for those proteins "can be potentially important for SARS-CoV-2 cell cycle and invasion/attachment," they wrote in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. These other genes may also be potential "targets for treating and preventing severe COVID-19 cases," they said.
A new study highlights the potential risks of handling personal protective equipment (PPE) items after use by front-line healthcare workers.
Researchers contaminated eight different types of protective equipment and materials with a virus, including nitrile medical examination gloves, reinforced chemical resistant gloves, N-95 and N-100 particulate respirator masks, coveralls made of Tyvek (a textile common in PPE clothing), plastic, cotton, and stainless steel.
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