Viral Mutations: A Balancing Act Between Transmission & Virulence

Ever since COVID-19 was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on January 30th, 2020 and subsequently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11th, 2020, a topic that quickly followed was the speed at which the virus was mutating. The reality is that mutations are a normal part of the life cycle in microorganisms and infectious agents such as viruses. Nonetheless, there is a lot of public concern and uncertainty about these mutations and the global impact they will have down the road. In this episode of the Public Health Insight, we introduce viruses as infectious agents, the concept of mutations, and how it impacts a virus’s ability to spread.References for Our Discussion World Health Organization: SARS-CoV2 VariantsScience Mag: Viral mutations may cause another ‘very very bad’ COVID-19 wave scientists warnVox: The Coronavirus is mutating. Now what?Podcast Co-HostsLeshawn Benedict, MPH, MSc, CAPM®William Wang, BA, MPHGordon Thane, BMSc, MPHSulaiman Alhalbouni, BMSc, MPHShare Your Thoughts With Us!Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. We would love it if you shared your thoughts by commenting on our posts, sending us a direct message through social media, or by emailing us at [email protected]. Until then, we’ll see you in the next one.Support Our ShowIf you like our show, feel free to lend us some support by making a contribution on our Patreon page (link below) so we can continue creating the content that you enjoy as we expand the Public Health Insight Community.Music CreditsTokyo Music Walker - Way HomeLukrembo - SunsetSend us a Text Message to let us know what you think.