I would like to preface by taking one step back… COVID19 is just not mutating very quickly. Overall, the virus circulating today looks relatively similar to the one that appeared in late 2019. This is because when COVID19 copies itself, it uses a proofreading system to catch errors. The COVID19 virus is proofreading itself much more than, say, the flu. The flu virus is constantly changing; we have to create a new flu vaccine every year. The measles virus is on the other side of the spectrum; it hasn’t changed since we discovered it in the 1960s. COVID19 is somewhere in between. This is important context to keep in mind.
S. Africa Variant
S. Africa Variant
S. Africa Variant
I would like to preface by taking one step back… COVID19 is just not mutating very quickly. Overall, the virus circulating today looks relatively similar to the one that appeared in late 2019. This is because when COVID19 copies itself, it uses a proofreading system to catch errors. The COVID19 virus is proofreading itself much more than, say, the flu. The flu virus is constantly changing; we have to create a new flu vaccine every year. The measles virus is on the other side of the spectrum; it hasn’t changed since we discovered it in the 1960s. COVID19 is somewhere in between. This is important context to keep in mind.