2 ms·
>Yeah but coronaviruses don’t mutate as rapidly as flu viruses, the vaccine from last year will protect against next year’s coronavirus. All RNA viruses mutate
by passivate 5y ago
>Yeah but coronaviruses don’t mutate as rapidly as flu viruses, the vaccine from last year will protect against next year’s coronavirus.
All RNA viruses mutate in the same fashion because of the way RNA polymerase functions. Its close to a statistical certainty. The absolute number of mutations is not strictly causal. What is relevant is whether the mutation(s) is beneficial (more internal spread while escaping host immune system) and whether this local variant has the fitness to dominate and spread externally.
Or maybe I'm misunderstanding you - can you explain what you mean ?
- fallingfrog 5y agoI’m not a scientist, I’m just repeating what I’ve heard and read. The consensus seems to be that covid mutates much more slowly than the flu. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livescience.com/amp/coronavirus-mutation-rate.html https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livescience.com/amp/coronav... https://www.google.com/amp/s/theconversation.com/amp/how-the-coronavirus-mutates-and-what-this-means-for-the-future-of-covid-19-154499 https://www.google.com/amp/s/theconversation.com/amp/how-the...
- passivate 5y agoCertainly, we can't all be experts in everything. I work in biotech but I only have a tiny area where I can feel comfortable making assertions. In any case, the articles you linked to are theories and speculation, not consensus.
- fallingfrog 5y agoFair enough, I suppose we’ll find out..