We shouldn't worry when a virus mutates during disease outbreaks

doi:10.1038/s41564-020-0690-4

. 2020 Apr;5(4):529-530.

doi: 10.1038/s41564-020-0690-4.

We shouldn't worry when a virus mutates during disease outbreaks

Nathan D Grubaugh^{1

2}, Mary E Petrone³, Edward C Holmes⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. nathan.grubaugh@yale.edu.
² Yale Institute for Global Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. nathan.grubaugh@yale.edu.
³ Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
⁴ Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. edward.holmes@sydney.edu.au.

PMID: 32071422
PMCID: PMC7095397
DOI: 10.1038/s41564-020-0690-4

We shouldn't worry when a virus mutates during disease outbreaks

Nathan D Grubaugh et al. Nat Microbiol. 2020 Apr.

. 2020 Apr;5(4):529-530.

doi: 10.1038/s41564-020-0690-4.

Authors

Nathan D Grubaugh^{1

2}, Mary E Petrone³, Edward C Holmes⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. nathan.grubaugh@yale.edu.
² Yale Institute for Global Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. nathan.grubaugh@yale.edu.
³ Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
⁴ Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. edward.holmes@sydney.edu.au.

PMID: 32071422
PMCID: PMC7095397
DOI: 10.1038/s41564-020-0690-4

Abstract

Mutation. The word naturally conjures fears of unexpected and freakish changes. Ill-informed discussions of mutations thrive during virus outbreaks, including the ongoing spread of SARS-CoV-2. In reality, mutations are a natural part of the virus life cycle and rarely impact outbreaks dramatically.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Comment in

The importance of naturally attenuated SARS-CoV-2in the fight against COVID-19.
Armengaud J, Delaunay-Moisan A, Thuret JY, van Anken E, Acosta-Alvear D, Aragón T, Arias C, Blondel M, Braakman I, Collet JF, Courcol R, Danchin A, Deleuze JF, Lavigne JP, Lucas S, Michiels T, Moore ERB, Nixon-Abell J, Rossello-Mora R, Shi ZL, Siccardi AG, Sitia R, Tillett D, Timmis KN, Toledano MB, van der Sluijs P, Vicenzi E. Armengaud J, et al. Environ Microbiol. 2020 Jun;22(6):1997-2000. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.15039. Environ Microbiol. 2020. PMID: 32342578 Free PMC article.

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References

1. Begley, S. DNA sleuths read the coronavirus genome, tracing its origins and looking for dangerous mutations. STAThttp://bit.ly/37ma5xY (2020).
1. Gulland, A. Coronavirus: researchers warned to be on alert over mutations that could speed up disease spread. The Daily Telegraph (4 February 2020); http://bit.ly/2OJ5OOH
1. Yuan L, et al. Science. 2017;358:933–936. doi: 10.1126/science.aam7120. - DOI - PubMed
1. Grubaugh ND, Ishtiaq F, Setoh YX, Ko AI. Trends Microbiol. 2019;27:381–383. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2019.02.004. - DOI - PubMed
1. Holmes, E. C. The Evolution and Emergence of RNA Viruses (Oxford University Press, 2009).

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[1] Begley, S. DNA sleuths read the coronavirus genome, tracing its origins and looking for dangerous mutations. STAThttp://bit.ly/37ma5xY (2020).

[2] Begley, S. DNA sleuths read the coronavirus genome, tracing its origins and looking for dangerous mutations. STAThttp://bit.ly/37ma5xY (2020).

[3] Gulland, A. Coronavirus: researchers warned to be on alert over mutations that could speed up disease spread. The Daily Telegraph (4 February 2020); http://bit.ly/2OJ5OOH

[4] Gulland, A. Coronavirus: researchers warned to be on alert over mutations that could speed up disease spread. The Daily Telegraph (4 February 2020); http://bit.ly/2OJ5OOH

[5] Yuan L, et al. Science. 2017;358:933–936. doi: 10.1126/science.aam7120. - DOI - PubMed

[6] Yuan L, et al. Science. 2017;358:933–936. doi: 10.1126/science.aam7120. - DOI - PubMed

[7] Grubaugh ND, Ishtiaq F, Setoh YX, Ko AI. Trends Microbiol. 2019;27:381–383. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2019.02.004. - DOI - PubMed

[8] Grubaugh ND, Ishtiaq F, Setoh YX, Ko AI. Trends Microbiol. 2019;27:381–383. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2019.02.004. - DOI - PubMed

[9] Holmes, E. C. The Evolution and Emergence of RNA Viruses (Oxford University Press, 2009).

[10] Holmes, E. C. The Evolution and Emergence of RNA Viruses (Oxford University Press, 2009).

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We shouldn't worry when a virus mutates during disease outbreaks

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We shouldn't worry when a virus mutates during disease outbreaks

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