A new genetic analysis of the virus that causes Covid-19, referring to 7,600 patients worldwide, shows that coronavirus has been circulating rapidly around the world since the end of last year.
Researchers in Britain found mutations in the virus and found evidence that it spread rapidly. "The virus is changing, but not getting worse," geneticist Francois Balloux of the University College London Genetics Institute told CNN.
Balloux and his colleagues collected global data and looked at samples at different periods and different locations and concluded that the virus began to be transmitted across snow at the end of last year.
"This excludes any scenario that says SARS-CoV-2 may have circulated long ago," Balloux said.
Various studies say that the new coronavirus has circulated in bats in China, but infected another animal before it was transmitted to humans. The first cases were reported in Wuhan, China in December last year. In order to be transmitted en masse, the structure of the virus acquires mutations.
"We are very, very, very sure that the worldwide broadcast started at the end of last year. That's because all the samples taken in every corner of the globe show multiple mutations and the mutations are similar, "Balloux added.
Research led by geneticists is also supported by recent evidence in France, where doctors at a hospital confirmed that they had treated a coronavirus patient since December 27.
Source: CNN
