ANALYSIS: Why the coronavirus has changed as it has, and what it means going forward

Why the coronavirus changed over time, and what it means going forward We can’t predict the next coronavirus variant. But there are some fundamental principles that explain why the virus has morphed as it has. Andrew Joseph STAT

It’s impossible to say how the coronavirus will continue to evolve. Those changes, after all, are a result of random mutations.

But there are some fundamental principles that explain why the virus has morphed as it has, principles that could guide our understanding of its ongoing evolution — and what that means for our future with the pathogen.

The great fear is that nature could spit out some new variant that completely saps the power of vaccines and upends the progress we’ve made against the pandemic. But to virologists and immunologists, such a possibility seems very unlikely. ...