The coronavirus is mutating — does it matter?

The coronavirus is mutating — does it matter?



‘Closed’ and ‘open’ conformations of the spike protein on SARS-CoV-2, which binds to receptors on human cells. A common mutation (circled) seems to make the protein favour open conformations, which might mean the virus can enter cells more easily. (Source: Structural data from K. Shen & J. Luban)

What mutations mean for the pandemic

Researchers still have more questions than answers about coronavirus mutations, and no one has yet found any change in SARS-CoV-2 that should raise public-health concerns. Sequencing data suggest that coronaviruses, in general, change more slowly than most other RNA viruses. But SARS-CoV-2 is changing: a mutation known as D614G has gone from a rare variant to present in almost all samples of the virus worldwide. (Despite early concerns, there’s no clear evidence that D614G makes the virus more contagious.) Studying mutations in detail helps researchers to understand how the virus is spreading and how susceptible it is to vaccines, antibody therapies and the human immune system.
Nature | 15 min read