There is a newer strain of the coronavirus - it is called D614G. Currently it's making its way across southeast Asia, and the issue among Malaysian health officials is the fact that it may be even more infectious than COVID-19.
KXAN Austin reported that"the breed has been seen in many countries throughout the continent and has been initially found at a Malaysian cluster of 45 cases," mentioning Bloomberg Quint, which follows international news out of India.
According to KXAN, health officials say"the 45 cases of D614G started after someone returned from India before finishing his 14-day quarantine. Afterward, the strain was discovered from many samples of COVID-19 in the Philippines."
Philippines Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire stated on Monday that the mutation is believed to have a"higher possibility of transmission or infectiousness, but we still don't have sufficient solid evidence to state that that will happen," KXAN quoted.
There is a shortage of evidence.
Based on the report, something health officials stress is the dearth of evidence, with Benjamin Cowling, head of epidemiology and bio-statistics in the University of Hong Kong saying that"it might merely have a competitive edge over other strains of COVID-19."
The strain"might be a little bit more contagious," Cowling told Bloomberg Quint. "We haven't yet got enough evidence to assess that, but there's no evidence that it's a lot more contagious," KXAN cited.
The report said that now D614G has been analyzed from the Phillippines, where the outbreak of COVID-19 is highest in the area. According to the report, the World Health Organization claims that the mutation is the predominant strain in Europe and the U.S.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government's leading infectious disease specialist, said back in July a new mutation of COVID-19 could help coronavirus replicate more readily.
Fauci said,"It will look like a specific mutation will make the virus more transmissible," the report quoted.