Reports of a more transmissible strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus should be interpreted with caution, say experts including Juliet.
A preprint paper from late April suggests that variants of the virus with the D614G mutation are more infectious, but the spread of this particular variant could be attributed to other factors.
“The D614G mutation is certainly very widespread but it is very hard to ascertain with any certainty whether it is more transmissible, and there doesn’t seem to be any solid evidence yet that there is a difference in clinical outcomes,” Juliet told Newsroom.
Scanning electron microscope image showing SARS-CoV-2 particles (gold) emerging from a cell cultured in a lab. Image credit: NIAID/Flickr CC BY 2.0.