Thread by @firefoxx66

There are *not* "8 strains of coronavirus" @USATODAY.
The #COVID19 #SARSCoV2 strains we have are incredibly similar - <40 diffs out of 29,000 bases.
Thanks to your article we are inundated with emails about people very worried about these strains.

eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nat…

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You interviewed great scientists here, & even include this snippet:
"While the maps are fun, they can also be “a little dangerous” said Andersen. The trees showing the evolution of the virus are complex and it’s difficult even for experts to draw conclusions from them."

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Yet you went with the most clickbait-y headline possible - that you don't explain *at all* in the article.

Scientists use 'strain' as a shorthand for 'variant' - we just mean there are differences - but these differences aren't functionally meaningful!

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Every time you decide to go with an alarmist unfounded incorrect headline, you burden *already overworked scientists* trying to battle #COVID19 #SARSCoV2 with *more work* trying to calm the panic.

We are working *so hard* - plz don't make our jobs harder!! Report responsibly.

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