GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Researchers in Great Britain this week identified a coronavirus mutation responsible for a new outbreak there.
You may be wondering if genetic mutations with COVID-19 make it easier to catch or more deadly? And what do they mean for the vaccines?
A professor of pathology at the University of Florida says determining how effective the vaccines will be and for how long is like flipping a coin. You don't know if it'll end up on heads or tails.
“The viruses descending from patient zero were all very similar," Dr. Marco Salemi said.
Salemi teaches and does research at UF in Gainesville. He says this type of virus started in animals before being transmitted to humans.
“Then over time, they started accumulating mutations," Salemi said. "Today, right now, there are more than 150,000 sequences of coronavirus that have been obtained.”
Scientists change the flu shot each year depending on the mutations of that virus.
Fortunately, there is good news when it comes to the coronavirus vaccine. Salemi says COVID-19 mutates a lot slower, so that vaccine is more likely to be effective.
“This virus doesn’t mutate as fast as other RNA viruses that we know. For example, this virus mutates about 10 times to maybe even 100 times slower than viruses like HIV or viruses like influenza," Salemi said.
Salemi says the coronavirus vaccine could also be similar to the flu shot with people getting it each year.
“The data seems to indicate that the current vaccines with the current coronaviruses that are circulating in the world might give immunity I would say within a period of six months to one year," Salemi said.
The professor warns people not to get a false sense of security with the new vaccines and to still wear a mask and social distance even if you've been vaccinated.