MUTATION SLOWS VACCINE EFFORTS

LONDON Coronavirus has mutated into two strains, one which appears to be far more aggressive, scientists have said, which could hinder attempts to develop a vaccine. Researchers at Peking University’s School of Life Sciences and the Institut Pasteur of Shanghai discovered the virus has evolved into two major lineages, described as “L” and “S” types.

The older “S-type” appears to be milder and less infectious, while the “L-type” spreads quickly and currently accounts for around 70 per cent of cases.