Tears today how for their future. Dot com africanamerican city the meeting begins to click the target. As viruses multiply the change ready and the same is happening to the coronavirus. Viruses mutate ready and that is to be expected. Scientists have been tracking those mutations while following coronaviruses journey around the world. Some of the mutations help the virus to spread others do nothing at all. But as corona virus multiplies and changes. Could it also become more deadly. This is your covered 900 special here on the w im chris cuomo welcome to the program the corona virus is not the same that came out of china half a year ago like other viruses it has mutated and a recent Study Suggests the globally predominant strain is more infectious than the original. The new corona virus like all other viruses is constantly mutating as it replicates inside its human host. The virus uses to multiply by injecting its Genetic Information into our cells the cell them becomes a kind of virus factory mass producing the genetic material that allows more of the virus to develop. As the virus replicates mistakes are often made. Errors mean the genetic material changes causing a mutated version of the virus if those changes are advantageously the mutation will go on to spread. There was an already sars kind of 2 doesnt appear to mutate as easily as other viruses like influenza for example. So. Experts say it doesnt have to because the spar its been so successful nevertheless a mutation could take place and might hit humans much harder than previous versions of the virus. Is and it will because it would be an evolutionary disadvantage if as a virus my host died while i was trying to replicate. The most successful viruses are those that show no symptoms to begin with allowing them to spread before taking down the host if a more aggressive mutation of corona virus were already spreading it might be hard to spot. That would require very complex testing in a lab or it would have to be done very precisely to be able to answer questions like is this form or infectious can the immune system deal with it better such studies take a lot of time. One major change in the virus has apparently already been determined generations of coronavirus replicated in the lungs and new mutations using host cells somewhere else in the body the throat more contagious if not more deadly so what does that mean for the search for a vaccine our research is struggling to keep up with an ever changing virus. As a skunk is a completely depends on how this vaccine is designed whether it does end up offering a broad immune response. Or the virus would have a tougher time quickly getting around a vaccine with a wide reaching and very effective immune response there start. For the most of us its business seems we may not need a new vaccine for every new year like with influenza as at least the hope we have for the coming years. With every new patient emerging immune have to survive in carbon 19 pressure piles on coronavirus to change as it does scientists will have to keep up. Earlier i spoke to dr andrew has backed out of the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the austrian i got a mean of sciences and as there are now multiple versions of the corona virus i asked them if their characteristics were vastly different there are hundreds of different mutations and and this is a totally natural normal process because these are new viruses they have an imperfect replication of their own genome so per se just finding mutations is nothing bad or. This is just how nature works ok lab Research Shows that the globally dominating version of the corona virus transmits more easily between humans now than the original did does that mean its also more dangerous no it does not mean that its more dangerous youre referring to one particular mutation that has been in the media over the last few weeks and its known by researchers for a months already its called the 614 gene mutation. And yes it is a prevalent mutation that is found pretty much a lot of cloak by now and also by now scientists actually taint it and in the lab in vitro that this mutation might lead to high infectivity again in vitro but what this actually means in a human to human transmission scenario and for the pandemic is still something researchers need to work out so it transmits more easily does that mean its less contagious less lethal. I think at the moment there is very little evidence that it effects the clinical course of infection the only thing i guess that is more or less hard evidence is that patients who have this virus with this give mutation tend to have a higher viral load and i have viral load could translate into higher transmissibility but the actual proof of this is still missing in out there. Other ways to predict how viruses are likely to mutate. Thats a difficult one i think its easier to look backward rigorous effectively and i think these mutation landscapes that we have basically identified in the past have been a wonderful tool to look back in history where just a virus come from and tracking its history right but looking in a more prospective future forward looking perspective this is i think more difficult and this has to do with the fact that mutations are kuranda only and it depends on the context whether they might confer an advantage to the virus or not so in that sense i think you cannot predict exactly which will be the next mutations coming out yet then mutation that we have already actually tell us a lot about the history of the virus now as the Novel Coronavirus has changed has mutated over the last couple of months what does that mean for the development of a vaccine of course one maybe needs to explain it a vaccine is usually working by means of antibodies or also by another cell called t. Cells endorse immune cells and antibodies to recognize specific regions in the virus in the proteins of the virus and so if these proteins would mutate to wait and potentially the target is gone and the vaccine would not be working anymore however what is important to or to make clear is that a vaccine that has only one target but it has multiple targets tens or hundreds of targets and in this regard i think its extremely unlikely that one or few mutations on the virus side would render a vaccine effect less and less back to a member of the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of sciences thank you for your insights. And next up is Derrick Williams hes our science correspondent and has been hard at work answering your questions about coven 19 heres our latest installment. Of any researches tried i havent. Talked about this a couple of months ago but in light of recent developments i thought it would be good to discuss it again Health Officials in some countries particularly in self america have been promoting the anti parasitic drug ivermectin as a treatment for covert 19 and people have been buying up supplies of it even though there is no solid evidence that the medication works against the new corona virus ivermectin it is however a very effective treatment for infestations of of nasty things like like lice and pen morgans. One big problem now is that with stocks at the drugs used to treat humans depleted people are beginning to self dose with versions of the drug that are usually prescribed for animals now it should be obvious why thats a very bad idea there are human trials going on and at least one has been concluded but the 1st results dont really look very convincing until we know a lot more at the w. H. O. Is not recommending ivermectin for anything but what it was developed for which is parasite infestations. How different his son has caved to to other viruses that infect us for example do people who catch influenza sometimes have no symptoms yes although asymptomatic is a is a pretty squishy term weve known for decades that people who dont report flu symptoms can test positive as carriers for the bug and older estimate. Usually put the number of asymptomatic areas for flu at around 50 percent much cited british study from 2014 however determined an even larger number of people infected with influenza never develop symptoms 77 percent to be exact now if thats correct it means not even one in 4 people who catch the flu will ever show any signs of it one way or the other even if the estimates dont all agree theres plenty of evidence showing that its quite common for us to catch a range of other viruses and show no signs of illness and theres also broad agreement that those asymptomatic carriers are likely contributing significantly to the spread of those diseases. And of course you can post your questions to derek on our you tube channel and if youd like to keep up with the latest developments on the corona virus and then they do subscribe to our newsletter just log on to d. W. Dot com slash corona dash newsletter. And finally its back to school for 6000000 students in seoul after a covert 19 emergency and the south korean capital schools reopened to with many changes though face masks of course are now a must for teachers and students even on the soccer fields temperature checks are now a daily experience anyone whos temperature it sees through 7. 5 degrees celsius is sent home students are also divided into rotations meaning that songs stay at home where they take virtual classes south korea was the 1st asian country to reopen schools after a corona locked up in may. And thats a show thanks for watching stay safe and have a great project. Go africa. Boost in digitalization in the pandemic. And online Payment System has got rwandas motorcycle taxi back on the road after a months mom driving back. Now the customers pay for the ride without cash. Because africa. Aki to. Where the real power resides. Really i come from there not the people in fact not going to be doing it if it was not a democracy give me thats one reason why im passionate about people and the aspirations i make a. And. The time you put is Fried Chicken by name after the order of the brooklyn born and i remember thinking at the time if the bun in blue can with anything can happen if people come together and unite for a full. Plate i do this often confronted difficult situations for conflict between design still i see despite my charm you can find tedious on policies and development to put the spotlight on issues that matter most to the congo Food Security question marshall nice solution. Or not has been achieved so much more needs to be timed and i feel people have to be on solutions my name is a mistake shes on and i will continue to ask you. What do i name all kinds of Mission Goods did its all Payment Systems i need gunmen are just having common well believe it or not they all kinds else to protect their environments more on that coming up on the show i know its i mean lagos could mean 1000 maybe done theyd see much of our lives right now but we still need to care for the environment right sondra