Houston researchers have unveiled a study of over 5,000 genetic sequences of coronavirus which reveals the pathogen`s virus`s continuous accumulation of mutations.
The study, released on Wednesday, however, does not conclude that these mutations made the virus deadlier or changed clinical outcomes. According to scientists, all the viruses accumulate genetic mutations and most of them are insignificant, The Washington Post reported.
Study author James Musser of Houston Methodist Hospital said that coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2 are relatively stable as viruses go since they have a proofreading mechanism as they replicate.
"But every mutation is a roll of the dice, and with transmission so widespread in the US -- which continues to see tens of thousands of new, confirmed infections daily -- the virus has had abundant opportunities to change, potentially with troublesome consequences," Musser said.
"We have given this virus a lot of chances. There is a huge population size out there right now," he added.
Several scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine, the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory and Austin`s University of Texas also contributed to the research.
The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, appears to be the largest single aggregation of genetic sequences of the virus in the US as of now. Last month, a study by UK scientists said a mutation that changes the structure of the "spike protein" on the virus`s surface may be driving the outsized spread of that particular strain, according to The Washington Post.
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