Second Coronavirus Wave's ‘Escapians’ Found in Texas

A new study published on September 23, 2020, found that 'virtually all SARS-CoV-2 strains in the second wave in Houston, Texas, have a Gly614 amino acid replacement in the coronavirus spike protein, a polymorphism that has been linked to increased transmission and infectivity. Furthermore, patients infected with the Gly614 variant strains had significantly higher virus loads in the nasopharynx on initial diagnosis.

This non-peer-reviewed study by Houston Methodist researchers 'helps to understand the origin, composition, and trajectory of future coronavirus infection waves, and the potential effect of the host immune response and therapeutic maneuvers on SARS-CoV-2 evolution.'

Furthermore, this finding reinforces other researchers’ concerns of the coronavirus is gaining momentum through naturally occurring mutations capable of producing mutant coronaviruses that can escape vaccines – dubbed ‘escapians’ – or mutants that can resist drugs and other therapies, reported Newswise.