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> likely acquired at least one of its mutations by picking up a snippet of genetic material from another virus > picking up a snippet whaaaaaaaa?! How does a
by proc0 5y ago
> likely acquired at least one of its mutations by picking up a snippet of genetic material from another virus
> picking up a snippet
whaaaaaaaa?! How does a virus "pick up a snippet"?? Did they mean it coincidentally mutated to have the same sequence? How would it combine with another virus, and why hasn't it done this last year?
- captainbland 5y agoMy understanding is coronaviruses (and others) can recombine if a host is infected with two variants. Another possibility is horizontal gene transfer. But the reporting of this kind of stuff is usually quite vague, possibly because the precise mechanism hasn't been clearly identified.
- proc0 5y agoYeah that article is at least poorly written. I don't think DNA just recombines in the wild like that, we would see examples of this all over the place, and the way animals do it is through sex and reproduction. I'll have to do some searching for specifics.