This question relates to the question, Is it possible to catch COVID-19 twice? Acquired immunity might slow the spread of COVID-19 or provide some protection from re-infection for those who survive the disease. The advantages of acquired immunity might be impaired if the rate of mutation, or the kinds of mutation, impair the advantages of acquired immunity.
A March 3, 2020 research article in the National Science Review considers mutation: On the origin and continuing evolution of SARS-CoV-2. The authors are: ang, Xiaolu and Wu, Changcheng and Li, Xiang and Song, Yuhe and Yao, Xinmin and Wu, Xinkai and Duan, Yuange and Zhang, Hong and Wang, Yirong and Qian, Zhaohui and Cui, Jie and Lu, Jia.
The article describes two major strain designated L and S. The authors infer that the S type is the ancestral version, and is less aggressive. The L type they said is more prevalent, about 70% than the S type, about 30%.
The public health advice to follow social distancing is directed to slowing the proliferation of the disease. But I wonder: might social distancing also impair the mutation rate of COVID-19? If slowing the mutation rate is beneficial, then social distancing has advantages in addition to slowing the spread of the disease. Do you know the epidemiology that relates to this question?
The possibility of quickly creating new types of viruses as a result of mutation processes is a very worrying issue. It is highly likely that Covid-19 Coronavirus appeared earlier before it began to infect humans. Earlier he could infect certain animal species and only after subsequent mutations did he move to human infection. The current Covid-19 Coronavirus also quickly mutates like other viruses. At the time you read this commentary, at least some new strains of Covid-19 Coronavirus will be created. It is possible that as a result of these ongoing mutations, a new type of Covid-19 Coronavirus will be created that will cause other diseases and symptoms in humans and / or certain animal species.
Best wishes.
Dariusz Prokopowicz
Can you get re-infected? Yes. But once you develop some immunity, you won't get as sick the next time around. However, if you are constantly exposed there is a good chance that you are re-infected multiple times within a short period of time. That usually means you inoculated yourself with a much higher viral dose, and inoculation dose is related to how fast you began to show symptoms. This is infectious disease 101.
Now... as for mutation rates... I don't think this is what you are trying to say. Mutation rates for pathogens is how fast the pathogen genome changes can occur. This is has nothing to do with spread but with the replication machinery. The environmental pressure is what determines whether a mutation is beneficial to the pathogen or not. So mutations occur inside a single host. What you are wondering is if it can slow down the spread of a more deadlier mutation in a population. Well...technically yes, if the mutation can't spread, it can't dominate.
And a mutation into a deadlier strain doesn't necessary mean that prior infections with parental strains won't be protective. This all depends on the exposed antigens and what antigens the memory response is being developed against. If the memory response is developed against antigens that are constantly mutating, than yeah... prior infections won't give you much protection. Hench why the flu vaccine strains keep changing every year.
If you reduce replication, by reducing transmission and the number of people that get infected for sure you slow virus evolution, because less replication = less errors, less mutations. Coronavirus are RNA virus, so they do accumulate a lot of errors during their replication.
However, I would not compare it to the flu virus, an RNA virus yes but that has a very unique genome containing 8 different strands of nucleic acid (including H and N strands). Influenza virus can mutate during replication like coronavirus: it is called antigenic drift and if you are reexposed to a 'drifted' virus, you do keep some immunity. You will maybe have symptoms, maybe not but you are protected. The problem with the Flu virus is the antigenic shift: (i.e H1 to H2 or H3 or H4 or H5) ... 2 different flu viruses (from swine and bird) infect the same bird and recombine to produce a chimeric new virus that the human population has never seen. And of course there is still antigenic drift. This is when we lose immunity against the flu and this will not happen with SARS-CoV2.
In short there should not be a second round with this virus. But it will not be the last emergent disease that we will experience.
Dear researchers have a nice Sunday. My question regard the nature of Lombardia (N. Italy) Coronavirus: its death rate is not compatible with COVID19 but with SARS. WHY??? >> see data >> https://www.researchgate.net/post/The_novel_Coronavirus_in_N_Italy_Lombardia_COVID19_2019nCoV_SARSCoV2_shows_a_fatality_rate_compatible_with_SARS_Why
yes it is very unfortunate. Preliminary hypothesis include 1- Italy has the oldest population of Europe or the biggest number of people at risk of dying in Europe, 2- detection tests are performed on a lot less people, on people that are already very sick. in any case it is very sad.
Well, it might. Chinee researchers found out that 5 m distance might be safer.
The possibility of quickly creating new types of viruses as a result of mutation processes is a very worrying issue. It is highly likely that Covid-19 Coronavirus appeared earlier before it began to infect humans. Earlier he could infect certain animal species and only after subsequent mutations did he move to human infection. The current Covid-19 Coronavirus also quickly mutates like other viruses. At the time you read this commentary, at least some new strains of Covid-19 Coronavirus will be created. It is possible that as a result of these ongoing mutations, a new type of Covid-19 Coronavirus will be created that will cause other diseases and symptoms in humans and / or certain animal species.
Best wishes.
Dariusz Prokopowicz
I agree. Must we take in consideration to have a social distancing by people staying at home, except the medical and other needed like police, miltary, fire departments?
I think its possible the same patient re infected but not infected in same strain of COVID 19
Dear all,
Regarding SOCIAL DISTANCING effect, please read my preprint:
Preprint Understanding COVID-19 spreading through simulation modeling...
I have uploaded this preprint about COVID-19 spreading. I'd like to receive feedback from researchers interested in this field (epidemic modeling and measures of control).
Dr Cesar Bordehore
Univ Alicante, Spain
Ofcourse, But that is only a temporary escaping. Having the power to resist the attack of virus on humanbody is the actual required solution. The social distancing is just an escaping from a problem.. The best way to escape from a problem is Solve it.
How to Solve it ?
Give resistance power to all in a locality and then avoid social distancing.
How is it possible?
Realize the conditions that supports the virus to exist on body.
Identify some conditions where the human body can aquire easily that helps to violate the conditions of existance of virus on human.
Research should focus on that area.
That is the best way to solve this problem.
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