UK has at least 12 strains of coronavirus
TWELVE different types of coronavirus have been identified in the UK, according to a report from researchers sequencing the virus’ DNA.
In just 12 days, the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK) analysed the genomes of the virus in 260 patients.
They found 12 unique mutations – suggesting the virus was seeded into Britain from multiple locations across the globe.
Viruses mutate slightly as they spread through a population and these changes can be tracked to map routes of infection.
The March 23 report, released yesterday, said: “The data are consistent with a large number of independent introductions to the UK, from multiple locations around the world.
“Major import to the UK seems to have occurred from locations with large epidemics and high travel volumes, notably Italy and other parts of Europe.”
The consortium is composed of the NHS, UK public health agencies, multiple UK universities, and the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
They used a network of sequencing centres to analyse samples from locations across the UK, including Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Liverpool and London.
Researchers said that due to under-sampling in the UK and elsewhere, the true figure was likely to be substantially higher than 12.
The report said a crucial next step would be for COG-UK to access patient health records and analyse how the virus spread in the early days of the epidemic.
This could help experts to design early intervention strategies for future outbreaks.
They also hope to compare the different strains and severity of disease, although there is not yet any suggestion that any strains are more deadly than others.
A genome is an organism’s complete set of DNA, including all of its genes.
Each genome contains all of the information needed to build and maintain that organism.