Cyprus-Forum.com

by **Londonrake** » Wed Mar 04, 2020 10:20 pm

Coronavirus has mutated into more aggressive disease, say scientists

Coronavirus has evolved into two major lineages and it is possible to be infected with both, a new study shows.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/202 ... cientists/

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by **Paphitis** » Thu Mar 05, 2020 2:28 pm

In Italy today, there are 3300 infected, 1250 hospitalized, 310 in the ICU, 107 dead.

A week ago Italy had about a dozen known infections.

Just goes to show how quickly it can get out of hand.

by **supporttheunderdog** » Thu Mar 05, 2020 3:20 pm

Most of us have probably already had a Coronavirus caused illness of some sort but never knew it - we have probably just not (yet) had this particular strain.

Coronaviruses are a family of virusus which have existed and mutated for a long time (the Most recent common ancestor of all know Coronavirus is about 10000 years old - they have been diverging ever since ) but they were only identified in the 1960's. Seven are known to infect Humans and four of them cause 15 to 30% per cent of the illnesses described as the common cold: some are thought to be recent mutations which caused MERS (MERS-CoV) and SARS (SARS-CoV) and now we have the latest outbreak which is 70% similar to SARS and known as Covid-19 or SARSCoV-2.

Some of them are very nasty: an outbreak of MERS which affected Korea was found in just under 2500 people of which over 850 died. A 34% death rate. It is however quite possible that many were not tested as they may never have bothered going to a doctor with something with all the symptoms of the common cold.

So far the death rate is about 3% but 15% in older people.

Flu (which is NOT a coronavirus) kills tens of thousands each year but the infection level is at the millions so percentage death rate is usually small. .