https://thenextweb.com/syndication/2020/09/25/is-covid-19-becoming-milder-heres-everything-we-know-so-far/

In early January, the first genome sequence of Sars-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – was released under the moniker “Wuhan-1.” This string of 30,000 letters (the A, T, C and Gs of the genetic code) marked day one in the race to understand the genetics of this newly discovered coronavirus. Now, a further 100,000 coronavirus genomes sampled from COVID-19 patients in over 100 countries have joined Wuhan-1. Geneticists around the world are mining the data for answers. Where did Sars-CoV-2 come from? When did it start infecting humans? How is the virus mutating – and does it matter? Sars-CoV-2 genomics, much like the virus itself, went big and went global.

The term mutation tends to conjure up images of dangerous new viruses with enhanced abilities sweeping across the planet. And while mutations constantly emerge and sometimes sweep – early mutations in Sars-CoV-2 have made their way around the world as the virus spread almost unnoticed – mutations are a perfectly natural part of any organism, including viruses. The vast majority have no impact on a virus’s ability to transmit or cause disease.