"Unique constellation": Corona mutation discovered in wastewater - researchers make possible theory public
Created: 02/11/2022 10:43 am
By: Jennifer Lanzinger, Franziska Schwarz
New corona variants were detected in the wastewater of New York City (symbolic image).
© Xinhua/Shen Hong/Imago
Corona is also being investigated in the sewage system.
New findings from New York are now attracting increased attention.
But researchers are faced with a puzzle.
Update from February 11, 2022:
The discovery of new corona mutations often attracts attention, and the discovery of the corona variant omicron initially caused uncertainty among many people.
However, it is now clear that in most cases omicron causes much milder courses than, for example, the delta mutation.
In New York, virus fragments have now been discovered in the sewage, which have hitherto unique constellations of mutations.
So far, however, the origin of these particles is not known, no person has officially tested positive for any of these discovered virus mutation particles.
As the researchers explain in the
New York Times
report , among other things, the particles were discovered in the wastewater a year ago.
So far, however, there is no evidence that these mutation particles have occurred in everyday life or have since become more dominant in everyday life than delta or omicron.
The origin is still unclear.
It is also unclear whether the virus fragments could have gotten into the wastewater through humans or even animals.
So far, the researchers have not ruled out that the extreme rat population in New York could be related to the discovery.
Since last summer, blood and stool samples from local rats have been examined for the virus fragments in order to find the possible origin of the mutations.
However, so far without success.
"I think it's really important that we find the source and we haven't been able to pinpoint it," John Dennehy, a virologist at Queens College, told the New York Times.
"Unique constellation": Researchers find new corona mutations in wastewater - animals as carriers?
Original article from February 9, 2022:
New York - Not only the city of Munich examines the wastewater for the currently dominant omicron variant.
Many cities around the world are tracking the human-excreted coronavirus for possible new insights.
Also in the US.
Researchers in New York City are now concerned about mutations that could make certain vaccines resistant.
"We have encountered virus fragments that have a unique constellation of mutations," "Tagesschau" correspondent Anja Passenheim quoted virologist John Dennehy in a February 9 report.
This structure has not been seen anywhere in the world.
Dennehy and his team from the City University of New York have been investigating the traces of corona in the sewer system for a good year.
"The data gives us clues as to how omicron is spreading," the university recently tweeted:
New York City: Researchers examine corona particles in wastewater
So can you get infected through the sewage?
According to the report, microbiologist Monica Trujillo appeased: "There is absolutely no evidence that the virus particles that we have isolated from the wastewater are in any way infectious." They have not yet been detected in any patient tested, said Michael Lanza, a spokesman for the city, on the subject for The
New York Times
.
Nevertheless, the team listens.
The unknown new variant shares some mutations with Omicron.
The researchers do not rule out that the corona mutations that have now been discovered could be able to circumvent human immunizations in the future.
Video: Lauterbach on mutations
New corona mutations in NYCs: Dogs and cats probably not carriers
"We discovered mutations that developed resistance to antibodies or certain vaccines," Trujillo said.
However, the findings so far do not indicate this.
Although the research team examined 5,000 sewage samples worldwide, they only found the new mutation in New York sewage, and even here only in a few parts of the city, reports the "Tagesschau".
The
New York Times
, on the other hand, writes that researchers have also found similar mutations in a sewer system in the US state of California.
The scientists are currently betting on animals as carriers.
Cats and dogs are currently excluded.
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