Mutation could have made coronavirus more infectious, study suggests

Researchers believe the novel coronavirus has mutated in a way that makes it more easily to infect human cells.

It's a mutation that scientists have been worried about for weeks, these researchers say.

More research is needed to show whether the change has altered the course of the pandemic. The changes may explain why the virus has caused so many infections in the United States and Latin America.

The researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida said the mutation affects the spike protein -- a structure on the outside of the virus that it uses to get into cells. If the findings are confirmed, it would be the first time someone has demonstrated that changes seen in the virus have significance for the pandemic, according to a CNN report.

Just this week, the World Health Organisation said the mutations seen so far in the new coronavirus would not affect the efficacy of vaccines under development. Last week, WHO said mutations had not made it more easily transmissible, nor had they made the virus more likely to cause serious illness.