# Explanation about different strains?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explanation-about-different-strains/923230>\
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone\
**Tags:** covid-quarantine\
**Created:** [October 18, 2020, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explanation-about-different-strains/923230 "2020-10-18T01:00:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2020, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explanation-about-different-strains/923230/1 "2020-10-18T01:00:37Z")

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I’ve seen occasional references to different strains of Covid being different in seriousness, and that a European strain was more serious than a Chinese strain?

But I thought it all came from China?

Can anyone elaborate?

🤔

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2020, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explanation-about-different-strains/923230/2 "2020-10-18T01:08:30Z")

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Viruses mutate, that’s what they do. An analog would be that humans all came from Africa, but various mutations accumulated in numerous areas to lead to populations with different characteristics.

> **[The six strains of SARS-CoV-2](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200803105246.htm)**
>
> The virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, presents at least six strains. Despite its mutations, the virus shows little variability, and this is good news for the researchers working on a viable vaccine.

> Currently, there are six strains of coronavirus. The original one is the L strain, that appeared in Wuhan in December 2019. Its first mutation – the S strain – appeared at the beginning of 2020, while, since mid-January 2020, we have had strains V and G. To date strain G is the most widespread: it mutated into strains GR and GH at the end of February 2020.