Coronavirus – Researchers in China have found two different strains of Covid-19 (coronavirus) which could be causing infections worldwide, CNBC has reported.
In a preliminary study published Tuesday, scientists at Peking University’s School of Life Sciences and the Institut Pasteur of Shanghai found that a more aggressive type of Covid-19 had accounted for about 70 per cent of analysed strains, while 30 per cent had been linked to a less aggressive type.
The findings were published in the National Science Review, the journal of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
According to the researchers, the more aggressive type of the virus was found to be prevalent in the early stages of the outbreak in Wuhan, where COVID-19 was first detected in December.
The scientists said the frequency of that type of virus has since decreased from early January.
The researchers, however, cautioned that data examined in the study was still “very limited.”
They said the results show that the new variations of the disease was “likely caused by mutations and natural selection besides recombination.
“These findings strongly support an urgent need for further immediate, comprehensive studies that combine genomic data, epidemiological data, and chart records of the clinical symptoms of patients with COVID-19,” they said.
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Travel restrictions
The study comes shortly after the World Health Organisation confirmed the fast-spreading virus.
As of Wednesday, more than 93,000 people worldwide have been infected, with at least 3,100 deaths.
So far, over 80 countries have reported at least a case of the disease.
Most of the cases have been reported in China, although the number of new daily infections outside now exceeded the Asian country.
Four countries, South Korea, Italy, Iran and Germany have all recorded spikes in confirmed cases and these have been having a toll on the nations.
While some sporting activities have been suspended in Italy, Iran has also temporarily freed about 54,000 prisoners as a means to contain the spread of the disease in the country.
Also, many countries are imposing travel restrictions on virus-hit areas worldwide.
