UCL team looked at over 7k genomic sequences.
They found genetic evidence that supports suspicions the virus was infecting people in Europe, the US and elsewhere weeks or even months before the 1st official cases were reported in January and February. cnn.com/2020/05/05/hea…
They found genetic evidence that supports suspicions the virus was infecting people in Europe, the US and elsewhere weeks or even months before the 1st official cases were reported in January and February. cnn.com/2020/05/05/hea…
However they dispel the idea that it was circulating before the end of last year.
Or that more than 10% of the world’s population has been infected. At most.
Or that more than 10% of the world’s population has been infected. At most.
"All viruses naturally mutate. Mutations in themselves are not a bad thing and there is nothing to suggest SARS-CoV-2 is mutating faster or slower than expected. So far we cannot say whether SARS-CoV-2 is becoming more or less lethal and contagious," Balloux said.
He says that in some pre prints scientists have drawn the wrong conclusion and that all sequences share a common ancestor towards the end of 2019.
