Doctors react to study revealing COVID-19 mutations may be weakening: ‘This is virology 101’
May 6, 2020 / By Talia Kaplan | Fox News
Dr. Ramin Oskoui, a cardiologist and CEO of Foxhall Cardiology, reacted on Tuesday to a study that found a new coronavirus mutation reportedly mirrors a change that occurred as the SARS virus began to weaken, saying, “it’s well-known that as viruses progress, they typically mutate to weaker forms.”
“The phenomenon is known as ‘Muller’s Ratchet,’” Oskoui told “The Ingraham Angle” Tuesday.
He added that this is “virology 101.”
“This is how they go away. They typically mutate, as well as herd immunity, to attenuate weaker strains that no longer make people so ill,” Oskoui continued.
Oskoui made the comments reacting to a study conducted by Arizona researchers, which was published in the online version of the Journal of Virology.
Lead study author Dr. Efrem Lim, a virologist and an assistant professor at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, and his team use a new technology to read through all 30,000 chemical letters of the SARS-CoV-2 genome, or genetic code, The New York Post reported, adding that the technology helps researchers determine how the virus is spreading and mutating over time.
