"VOC-202012/01", "501.V2", "B.1.1.248"… Behind these code names are the British, South African and Brazilian variants of the coronavirus. If they are so worrying, it is because they are particularly contagious and they spread rapidly on French territory. At this rate, the English variant could also become the majority in France in early March, according to experts.
In an attempt to limit the spread of these mutations, a new health protocol has also been unveiled by the general directorate of health. In the event of contamination by the South African or Brazilian strain, isolation for 10 days – compared to 7 days so far – is now necessary. In schools, class closures are now declared when a child is infected with one of the two variants or is a contact case of a family member infected with one of the two strains.
But the variants have not finished revealing their secrets: a recent study published in the scientific pre-publication journal medRxiv reveals cases of patients infected simultaneously with two different strains of the coronavirus.
A phenomenon that could accelerate the development of new strains
For the purposes of this research, scientists at Feevale University in Brazil took samples from 92 volunteers affected by Covid-19 at the end of November. They found that two participants were infected with two different strains of the virus. This co-infection does not appear to have worsened their condition: the patients suffered from coughs, sore throats, headaches, and did not need to be hospitalized.
This discovery nevertheless raises questions, because co-infection could promote and precipitate the appearance of new variants of the coronavirus, according to the researchers. "These co-infections can generate combinations and generate new variants even faster than what has happened", explains to Reuters Fernando Spilki, virologist at Feevale University and lead study author.
Another concern highlighted by this specialist: co-infection can only occur when different viruses are transmitted in large quantities. The discovery of these two cases therefore proves that these mutations circulate a lot in Brazil.
"Co-infection": a hypothesis to be verified
However, this study has not yet been validated by its peers and its conclusions therefore tend to be verified, especially as a scientist interviewed by the Daily Mail, but who wished to remain anonymous, advances another hypothesis: according to him, it is possible that the researchers contaminated their samples during the sequencing, which would have led to incorrect results.
For Professor Keith Neal, expert in infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham (United Kingdom) also interviewed by the Daily Mail, it is indeed possible to"catch two different viruses at the same time". However, when one strain is predominant, as is the case in Europe, that strain takes over.
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