Scientists discover the ‘most mutated Covid variant ever’ lurking in a patient in Indonesia
Strain has over 110 mutations, double that of Omicron which took over the world
A Covid variant seen in Indonesia might be the most mutated version of the virus ever recorded, scientists think.
The morphed version of Delta — collected from a patient swab in Jakarta — has 113 unique mutations.
Thirty-seven of the alterations affect the spike protein, which the coronavirus uses to latch onto humans.
For comparison, Omicron carries around 50 mutations.
Virus-trackers brandished the unnamed strain the ‘most extreme’ they’ve ever seen.
But there is no proof it will take off. And, even if it did, top experts insist it would not bounce the world into needing any sort of lockdown.
The new virus, submitted to a global Covid genomics database at the start of July, is believed to be spawned by a case of chronic infection.
This is where a single patient, instead of beating the virus in a few weeks, suffers an extended infection that can last months
So-called chronic infections usually occur in patients with a compromised immune system, such as those with AIDS or undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer, which renders them less able to successfully fight off the virus.
Such infections worry scientists because it creates the perfect conditions for Covid to mutate, potentially allowing it to trick its way past the body’s defences.