変異型は武漢型より感染力「強い」　東大医科研など研究

Mutant type is more infectious than Wuhan type

Experiments with hamsters have shown that the mutant types of the new coronavirus that are currently prevalent around the world are more infectious than the types first identified in Wuhan, China. A team of Professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Tokyo and Professor Ralph Barrick of the University of North Carolina at the United States announced on the 13th in the American scientific journal Science.

The new coronavirus was first reported to infect humans in Wuhan City in December last year, and has since spread worldwide. During that time, the type "D614G", in which the "spike protein" on the surface of the virus was mutated, spread at a faster rate than the original type. In Japan, infection with this mutation type has continued since March until now. Until now, it was not fully understood how this change affected the nature of the virus.

The team created the original type and mutant type of virus by artificially synthesizing the virus in the laboratory. Using a hamster that causes pneumonia in the same way as humans when infected with the new corona, we confirmed the susceptibility to infection.

Source: https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASNCF343DNCDULBJ01P.html?iref=comtop_7_02