Duke professor part of research group that found more dominant strain of coronavirus

A professor in surgery at Duke University Medical Center has been working with scientists overseas to find a new, more dominant strain of coronavirus.

Posted 9:36 p.m. May 5, 2020 — Updated 12:15 a.m. May 6, 2020

Kirsten Gutierrez

, WRAL reporter

DURHAM, N.C. — A professor in surgery at Duke University Medical Center has been working with scientists overseas to find a new, more dominant strain of coronavirus.

David Montefiori has worked on the report with colleagues who said they started seeing a mutation back in March. That mutation in the coronavirus appears to make it more infectious.

Montefiori said the new, more dominant strain, called D6-14-G started in Europe and quickly spread to other parts of the world. He said his biggest concern is making sure current vaccines in production will be effective with this strain.

“Don’t panic again, there’s no evidence to suggest that this new form of the virus is more dangerous," Montefiori said. "The concern is how it might impact vaccines and immunotherapeutics. We're working on that ... get answers very soon. If it turns out to be different enough that the vaccines need to be modified, that can be done.”

The Los Angeles Times first reported on the story Tuesday, saying the new study is led by scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The 33-page report also says that in addition to spreading faster, it can make people more vulnerable to catching COVID-19 again.

The report also states the new strain infected more people than the earlier strains of the original virus. After a few weeks, it was the only strain of coronavirus being detected.

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