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Corona virus infection
- Brazilian doctors have discovered an even more dangerous type of coronavirus infection, a double infection with two separate strains.
- Researchers detailed two cases of COVID-19 with people in their 30s who were infected with both the Brazilian mutation (P.2) and a different strain circulating in Brazil.
- These co-infections could lead to the creation of additional mutations, the researchers said.
Tens of millions of people around the world have already received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and several million of them have been on the full two-dose regimen. On top of that, two other vaccine makers just announced positive Phase 3 results for other candidate vaccines that may soon be cleared for emergency use – the Novavax and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. But COVID-19 has also changed, just in time for vaccines. The SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates like any other microorganism, after all.
The final weeks of 2020 brought news of two highly infectious mutant coronavirus strains, including the British (B.1.1.7) and South African (B.1.351) versions. In early January, news of a Brazilian strain (P2 or B.1.1.28) dropped and governments around the world began to take action to reduce the spread of these highly contagious variations. This includes additional genetic testing to understand how the new strains spread in their countries, which has allowed some researchers to discover an even more dangerous coronavirus infection that can arise.
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The coronavirus has been mutating from the start. Some studies have shown that the version that reached Europe and the United States in March 2020 was more contagious than that of Wuhan. Scientists have been tracking mutations throughout the pandemic to understand how the virus is evolving and to make sure vaccines would work. The drugs Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna are still effective against the British strain, while the South African strain may reduce their effectiveness. The drug Johnson & Johnson has been tested in trials against the South African mutation, and the company has provided impressive efficacy against this strain.
With more researchers tracking the new mutations, it’s no surprise to hear that Brazilian doctors have identified two people who are simultaneously infected with two different mutated coronavirus strains. This is a disturbing development, indicating that people could take more than one strain from their communities, each of which is capable of replicating itself inside the body to such an extent that the two distinct versions will appear in tests. genetics.
Brazilian researchers published their findings in a study that was not peer reviewed, by Reuters. The two patients in question were both in their 30s and tested positive for the P.2 mutation and a different strain. Their symptoms were mild. One person developed a dry cough while the other had a cough, sore throat and headache. Neither person had to be hospitalized.
Research indicates that different variants of the same virus can coexist within the same host, and this phenomenon could promote other mutations.
“These co-infections can generate combinations and generate new variants even faster than what has happened,” said study principal investigator Dr. Fernando Spilki. Reuters. “This would be another evolutionary route for the virus.”
This may not be the first time that several strains of the virus have inhabited the same host. This could be a common occurrence in places where multiple versions of the coronavirus are spreading within communities. Researchers are doing more genetic testing now than ever before, looking for the strains of greatest concern. In turn, this would increase the chances of discovering these double infections.
It is not known whether any of the British, South African or Brazilian mutations could have developed from two undetected infections. A few weeks ago, Italian researchers discovered a local mutation that developed in an immunocompromised patient who tested positive for COVID-19 for several months. The researchers speculated that this mutation could be the precursor of the British strain but could not prove it.
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