[국제]Corona 19 mutations found in the United States following the UK and South Africa

[앵커]

In the United States, a study has shown that the corona 19 mutant virus occurred spontaneously rather than foreign inflow.

Concerns about the spread of Corona 19 are growing, as a mutant virus from the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil, followed by a mutant virus from the United States, has appeared.

Reporter Won-bae Kim reports.

[기자]

According to The New York Times, researchers in the United States have discovered seven types of COVID-19 mutant viruses that are expressed in the same gene across the United States.

A mutant virus originating from the UK and South Africa followed by a mutant virus originating from the United States appeared.

“There seems to be a mutation in Corona 19,” said Jeremy Camille, a Louisiana State University professor who was involved in the study.

“We still can’t determine if the mutation is more contagious, but we are concerned as mutations occur in genes that affect human cell penetration,” he said.

The New York Times said, however, that it is difficult to determine whether the mutation has established itself as a major species because less than 1% of Corona 19 samples were analyzed in the United States.

The researchers collected and investigated COVID-19 samples from across the United States, but were unable to pinpoint the first occurrence.

It is also difficult to determine whether the spread of the mutant virus is due to its high contagion, increased movement during the holiday season, or events such as the Super Bowl final.

The New York Times reported that the rise in the spread of Corona 19 is feared as a mutant virus originating from the UK and South Africa, which is known to be highly contagious and fatal, followed by a mutation from the United States appears.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has already predicted that the number of new confirmed cases and deaths will increase with the mutant virus becoming the predominant by next month.

[앤서니 파우치 / 미국 국립 알레르기·전염병연구소장 : 영국발 변이가 아마도 3월 말, 4월 초까지 미국에서 훨씬 두드러지게 될 것이라고 예측됩니다.]

In addition, the New York Times reported that the discovery of a mutant virus from the United States raises concerns that it will be difficult to block the spread even with vaccination.

This is YTN Kim Won-bae.

[저작권자(c) YTN & YTN plus 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]