🦠 Covid-19 may have become more contagious as it mutated

🇺🇸 One variant of #coronavirus is now one of the most dominant in Houston accounting for 99.9% of cases there

😷 By failing to control the spread of #COVID19, it's able to mutate faster

~thread

telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/2…
A US study concluded that a mutation that changes the structure of the “spike protein” on the surface of the virus may be driving the outsized spread of that particular strain

To date, researchers have documented 5,085 genome sequences of the coronavirus at Houston Methodist
'Covid 19 has become more deadly in Houston as it mutated'

Do you think this statement is true or false?

telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/2…
Researchers found that people infected with this strain (known as D614G) had higher "loads" of virus in their upper respiratory tracts, which allows a virus to spread more effectively.

However, they did not find that it was more deadly #coronavirus

telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/2…
'Social distancing and wearing a mask is not as effective on the new strain of #coronavirus'

Is this claim true or false?

telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/2…
#Coronavirus could be responding to interventions.

😷 The study found that although mask-wearing, washing your hands and social distancing measures are barriers to transmission, as the strain becomes more contagious, it is statistically better at getting around those barriers
🇬🇧 But what about the UK? Has the new strain reached Britain?

'D614G is increasing in frequency at “an alarming rate” in the UK'

Is this claim true or false?
A similar study published in the UK had similar results.

Scientists found that D614G was increasing in frequency at “an alarming rate” and had rapidly become the dominant Covid-19 lineage in Europe and had then taken hold in the US, Canada and Australia
'The new mutation appears to be outdistancing all of its competitors'

Is this claim true or false?

telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/2…
This could be true.

A tiny tweak in the spike protein of the dominant variant switches an amino acid from aspartic acid to glycine.

This small change, which affects three identical amino acid chains, might enhance the virus's transmissibility
🧪 Time to find out the truth.

Studying mutations in detail could be important for controlling the pandemic. It might help:

🔴 To pre-empt the most worrying of mutations that could help the virus to evade immune systems, vaccines or antibody therapies

telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/2…

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More from @Telegraph

8 Oct
For 90 minutes, US politics had been transported back to 2012 telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/10/0…
During last night's #VPDebate both candidates gave a strong performance, sticking to clearly defined topics and avoiding personal blows
A total of six in ten said Kamala Harris claimed victory over Mike Pence, according to a @CNN snap poll.

In contrast, a @drudgefeed flash poll shows the Vice President as the winner, leading with 69% of the public’s support Image
Read 11 tweets
8 Oct
🔴The murder of John Lennon in December 1980 put a stop on the Beatles but the unexamined reputation of Lennon does a disservice to his complexities

❌Could the man who told us to ‘give peace a chance’ be cancelled today?

~check this thread to find out
His mother’s death left deep scars for Lennon, aged 17 when it happened.

He continued to live with his aunt, in the house outside which his mother had been hit by a car

“His way of dealing with it was to get angry and to blame everybody else.”

telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/… ImageImage
When Paul McCartney announced the band’s split, the Beatles had attained a level of influence it is difficult to overstate. Lennon’s wit seemed to be beaten out of him by endless touring and public scrutiny.

Drugs hadn’t helped, first marijuana, then LSD and eventually heroin. Image
Read 6 tweets
8 Oct
The Duke of Cambridge's environmental award will give one million pounds to five winning innovators each year from now until 2030 telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2…
The prince has called the award “the most prestigious environmental prize in history” 👑🌎
“I felt very much that there’s a lot of people wanting to do many good things for the environment and what they need is a bit of a catalyst, a bit of hope, a bit of positivity that we can actually fix what’s being presented" - Prince William Image
Read 7 tweets
8 Oct
Morning, everyone. It's @DannyBoyle87 with my 6am choice for your #SixAtSix Thursday reading 👇

Lockdowns: PM could shut pubs within days as Commons battle with Labour beckons

telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/…

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@DannyBoyle87 Vice-presidential debate: Kamala Harris and Mike Pence clash over US Covid response

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@DannyBoyle87 Study: Herd immunity ‘could have saved more lives than social distancing’

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7 Oct
One in five British adults say they’ve had an affair, according to figure from YouGov.

And that’s only the ones who have admitted to it.

But how do you spot if you’re in a relationship with someone who’s likely to do the dirty?

~thread
telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/anat… Image
1️⃣ Deep voice 🗣️

Researchers from Southwest University in China have found that men with deep voices are more likely to cheat on their partner
2️⃣ Brainy 🧠

Infidelity can be a military operation, particularly in marriages. So it may come as no surprise that intelligent people are more likely to cheat on their partners, according to research undertaken by dating agency IllicitEncounters
Read 8 tweets
7 Oct
Morning, everyone. It's @DannyBoyle87 with my 6am choice for your #SixAtSix reading 👇

Covid: Cabinet split over tougher lockdown measures under 'traffic light' system

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@DannyBoyle87 Analysis by @CamillaTominey: Boris Johnson gave us his vision of the future - was anyone listening?

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