Covid May Become Easier To Catch, But Might Be Less Nasty

It’s in the nature of viruses to mutate, some more than others. And it doesn’t matter where in the world they happen to be. We’ve already had our first mutation of Covid-19, the so-called UK (or Kent) variant.

- Dr Miriam Stoppard

Now it’s been followed by the South African variant – three of them.

Ours is marked by an ease of transmission between 50% and 70% more transmissible than previous variants.

But it’s hardly a UK-only variant – it’s been found in 45 countries. And now a new variant has emerged in Brazil.

All viruses are constantly evolving and changing.

The plain fact is the more people in whom the virus multiplies, the greater the chance of mutation.

Viruses reproduce by making long chains of proteins, then chop them into new viruses.