VIRUS MUTATIONS
Why scientists call PJ.2.1 a ‘jump’ variant: The COVID strain that arrived with dozens of mutations at once and spreads by gripping your cells more tightly
A new variant of SARS-CoV-2, named PJ.2.1, was detected in Canada and has spread globally. It has over 25 mutations in its spike protein, which enhance its binding to human cells. Researchers are observing its spread in countries like the US, Spain, and Australia among others. Currently, there is no evidence linking PJ.2.1 to increased severity of illness or hospitalization.
Utah mink farm bird flu outbreak raises fears of a pandemic deadlier than Covid as the virus killed 80% of a mink herd: Can it spread to humans?
A bird flu outbreak has been spreading for over two months at a Utah mink farm. Federal and state officials have not culled the infected animals nor imposed a formal quarantine. Experts express concern about the potential mutation of the virus to infect humans. No federal rules currently exist for vaccinating or culling infected mink in the US.
A look at AI doomsday scenarios that researchers say could put humanity at risk
AI researchers are debating whether increasingly powerful systems could pose existential risks, from enabling bioweapons and cyberattacks to triggering nuclear conflict or acting beyond human control. While some industry leaders warn of catastrophic scenarios, critics argue many of the most extreme predictions remain speculative and risk overstating what current AI systems can actually do.
Resident Evil OTT release details: When and where to watch Zach Cregger’s reboot of the fan favourite horror franchise after theatrical run
Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil reboot has arrived in theatres, giving fans a fresh take on the popular horror video game franchise. With the film now on the big screen, attention has already turned to its OTT and digital release. Here’s what to know about when Resident Evil could become available to rent or buy online and when viewers may be able to stream the reboot on Netflix.
Anthropic says it blocked misuse of its AI that could have supported biological weapons
"The cases we share here aren't typical misuse, but rather examples of the most notable and novel threat activity we've identified to date," Anthropic said in its third report since March 2025 describing AI misuse. The report includes snippets of the malicious code and AI prompts Anthropic said it found, and urges governments and AI competitors to identify and prevent similar abuse.
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"We do not have immunity against it," warn scientists as India’s first bird flu case in cats raises human health concerns
In an alarming first, cases of avian influenza (H5N1) have been found in domestic cats in Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh. This raises concerns about the virus mutating in mammals and its potential risk to humans. Though human infections are rare, experts stress the importance of enhanced surveillance and preventive measures to curb the spread.
CDC on High Alert as Bird Flu Cases Rise in the US: Is the H5N1 Virus Showing Pandemic Red Flags?
Bird Flu: Bird flu cases are on the rise in the U.S., and the CDC is on high alert. With 66 confirmed human cases so far, officials are watching closely for signs that the virus could mutate and spread more easily between people, raising concerns about a potential pandemic.
Mutations discovered in first severe human bird flu case in the US: What we know so far
A severe case of bird flu in Louisiana has led to the discovery of mutations in the H5N1 virus, which may help it bind more easily to human cells. However, experts stress that the mutations are not cause for alarm as they appeared only after the virus adapted to the human host. While the overall risk to the public remains low, scientists continue to monitor the situation closely, particularly as flu season progresses.
Mpox virus mutating very fast, scientists finding hard to track the new strain: What you need to know
Mpox virus Updates: A new strain of the mpox virus, clade Ib, has emerged from Congo, evolving quickly and spreading rapidly among humans. Scientists expressed concerns over its transmission patterns and severity, especially due to limited resources in African laboratories. The WHO has declared another health emergency as a result.
New study finds link between Covid antiviral drug & virus mutations
A study published in the journal Nature has found a link between the COVID-19 antiviral drug molnupiravir and a pattern of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The drug induces mutations in the virus's genome, damaging or killing the virus and reducing viral load.
Covid virus' 'most muted variant' found in Indonesia, claim scientists. What we know so far
Covid pandemic has subsided but the most mutated variant of coronavirus has been found in Indonesia. The new variant of the covid virus has been submitted to the world genomics database, according to reports.
How Covid virus mutates inside a human body
Researchers from the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology discovered various mutations not included in existing databases and even a new, previously unknown variant.
Scientists identify antibodies that can block Omicron variant
Scientists have identified antibodies that neutralise Omicron and other variants of coronavirus by targeting areas that remain essentially unchanged as the virus mutates. The research, published in the journal Nature, may help design vaccines and antibody treatments that will be effective against not only Omicron but other variants that may emerge in the future.
The mutated Covid virus will never really go away: A Velumani
“We will not live without fear for a decade if this virus keeps mutating, he says. No need for a booster dose if the virus not mutating, according to him.”
SARS-CoV-2 mutations: Why coronavirus might still have some tricks to pull
The SARS-CoV-2 genome is made up of 30,000 individual bases. The rate at which mutations arise is typically expressed as the probability that any individual base will be erroneously replaced when the genome replicates. According to recent experimental evidence - which is yet to be published in a scientific journal - this is around three in a million.
'Delta on steroids': What scientists say about next Covid variant
The world is in a very "dangerous period" of the Covid-19 pandemic compounded by more transmissible variants like Delta, which is continuing to evolve and mutate, World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has recently warned.
Apart from preventing illness & deaths, Covid vaccines may be curbing new virus mutations, says study
Samples from vaccine breakthrough patients showed significantly fewer mutations.
View: Delta+ calls for caution, not panic. Viruses mutate, but its spike protein & antigens are being pounded by vaccines
Designation of the newly emerged Delta-plus as a “variant of concern” has triggered a debate on implications for viral transmission and vaccine efficacy. This variant is also called AY.1.
Some coronavirus mutations may help it evade immune system's T-killer cells, say scientists
While antibodies dock directly onto viruses to neutralise them, the scientists, including those from the Medical University of Vienna in Austria, said the T-killer cells recognise viral protein fragments on infected cells and subsequently kill them to stop virus production.
Novel method to predict emergence of worrisome coronavirus variants
The study posted in the platform bioRxiv, and yet-to-be peer-reviewed, assessed 3,11,795 genome sequences of the coronavirus spike protein and found mutations altering the amino acid building blocks that make up the protein.
Over 7K virus mutations reported, Covid-appropriate behaviour key to stop spread, say scientists
Scientists also emphasised that these mutations do not translate to variants.
COVID-19: Amravati surge could be due to mutation, people's carelessness, says Maharashtra official
Dr Subhash Salunke, technical adviser to the Maharashtra government on the COVID-19 outbreak, said those with comorbidities are at a greater risk due to a virus mutation found in samples from the district.
Mutation in spike protein dominant form of Covid, eight times more infectious
The study confirms findings that D614G, one of the mutations, makes the virus more transmissible.
COVID-19 shots might be tweaked if variants get worse
The makers of COVID-19 vaccines are figuring out how to tweak their recipes against worrisome virus mutations - and regulators are looking to flu as a blueprint if and when the shots need an update.
Here's what we do and don't know about new coronavirus mutations
One mutation -- variant B117, which likely emerged in southeastern England in September, according to Imperial College London -- has now been detected in countries across the world, including the US, France and India.
Immune pressure due to non-judicious use of therapies can lead to virus mutation: ICMR chief
"That is a point of concern. We are carrying out tests in India regularly for those variants," Bhargava said.
How the novel coronavirus has evolved and adapted to human hosts
Mapping and understanding those changes to the virus is crucial to developing strategies to combat the COVID-19 disease it causes.
No major mutation observed in SARS-COV 2, no indication vaccine strategy would be hindered: Study
Saumitra Das, the director of the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, said the institutes started sequencing the virus from different parts of the country from April. “Initially, there were different strains. But by June, we found that A2a strain of the virus is more predominantly found in India,” said Das.
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