New research finds 49 new strains of COVID19

BREAKING! New Research Indicates SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Is Indeed Mutating Into Various Strains That Have Specific Preference Of Attacking Human Host Cells

Source: Coronavirus Research  Mar 16, 2020  8 hours ago

Coronavirus research: A new non-peer reviewed study published in the open platform MedRvix indicates that the SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus could be evolving or mutating into various strains with each a different mode of attacking or binding to human host cells and with different infected patients varying symptoms and effects.
(https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.10.20033944v1.full.pdf+html)

In this new study alone, 49 new strains were identified and one strain in particularly that was identified as the ZJ01 Strain was completed different from the earlier strains that were first identified in Wuhan.

The earlier strain basically attacked human host cells using the ACE-2 receptors whereas the new strain had a preference for binding via the Furin cleavage site.
(https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-latestcoronavirus-research-reveals-that-the-virus-has-mutated-gene-similar-to-hiv-and-is-1,000-times-more-potent-)

Thailand Medical News had already earlier already covered other studies showing that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has to date four discovered modes of attacking or binding to human host cells.( https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-preprint-research-shows-that-sars-cov-2-has-third-binding-mode,-making-it-a-truly-potent-coronavirus-that-is-in-a-league-of-its-own) and (https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-new-coronavirus-research-shows-that-the-sars-cov-2-coronavirus-has-a-fourth-route-of-attacking-human-host-cells-making-it-a-real-super-virus

The Phylogenetic analysis suggested that SARS-CoV-2 exhibited remarkable evolutionary divergence, with potential evolutionary branches within SARS-CoV-2.

During the initial Wuhan epidemic, there were 2 main strains the, WIV02 (2019-12-31)/WH19008 (2019-12-30) and MT0270641 (2020-1-29)/ZJ01(2020-1-23) and these were the basis for the potential of forming evolutionary branches during dissemination.

Later just in China alone, 8 strains were identified. The relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) analysis showed that there were various differences among 8 strains (MN938384, CNA0007334, WIV06, ZJ01, NMDC60013002-05, CNA0007332, MN988668, WIV07) and other members of SARS-CoV-2 family (Fig 1B), where MN938384, CNA0007334, WIV06 and ZJ0. Among aforementioned 8 strains which were collected in Wuhan, Guangdong and Hangzhou, six were collected at the early stage of COVID-19 (2019-12-26 to 2020 -1-2). The collection time of MN938384 was no later than 2020-1-14 (virus submission time), while ZJ01 was collected on 2020-1-23.

ZJ01, including 7 deletions, 4 insertions and 24 substitutions. For the rest 3 mutation sites, NO.20 was caused by a sequencing error while NO.14 and No. 38 widely existed in SARS-CoV-2 family. Among ZJ01 unique mutations, 10 (NO.22-31) were located on the S protein, including 3 samesense mutation, 2 deletion mutation and 5 missense mutation, which led to amino acid changes of Ser596, Gln613, Glu702, Ala771, Ala1015, Pro1053 and Thr1066. Further similarity analysis indicated that the main difference among various coronaviruses located in the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) region of S1. Intriguingly, the differences between ZJ01 and other members of SARS-CoV-2 mainly resided in in the S1/S2 and S2 (please refer to detailed diagrams in the study.)

The new evolved ZJ01 strain has a better affinity of binding to the furin-cleavage sites and it produced milder symptoms in the infected patients and less damage to the lungs and kidneys. However researchers warned although the patients from these strains recovered faster, the midterm and long term effects of the residual viral loads or dormant loads in the patients could be more harmful in the future but studies are needed to carefully observe and conclude that.

Also these new discoveries and studies about the various new mutations could have repercussions of drug and vaccine development.

We at Thailand Medical News are very confused as to why the WHO or any research entities or medical entities are not mentioning about this mutations and various strains being formed at such a rapid phase and why we too have been warned by certain authorities to stop making research data available to the general public. There are currently many other studies, some peer reviewed that has confirmed that the virus is actually mutating at a rapid stage and contrary to the initial information we were fed and also there are more than 49 strains at the moment, some with distinct characteristics.