When Houston was gripped by a severe Covid-19 wave in June, a mutated form of coronavirus that developed elsewhere in the world and which is known to be especially contagious grew to eventually dominate the city’s infected patients, according to a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.22.20199125v1" target="_blank">study released Wednesday</a> that could raise new questions about how quickly the virus evolved as it spread around the world.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h5>



The study, which was not peer-reviewed and was first reported by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/09/23/houston-coronavirus-mutations/?arc404=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Washington Post</a>, looked at virus samples from two different Covid-19 waves in the Houston area over the spring and summer.



Many different strains of the virus entered Houston initially, but when the city moved from a small initial wave in March to a much larger outbreak in late June, almost every coronavirus sample contained a particular mutation on the virus’ surface that had previously been found in cases in Europe.



Patients with that strain of coronavirus carried more virus particles than other people, meaning they were probably more infectious, the study found.



Researchers say the rise of this contagious strain of the virus may have driven up the infection rate in the Houston area, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tmc.edu/coronavirus-updates/infection-rate-in-the-greater-houston-area/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">jumped</a>&nbsp;from an average of around 200 new Covid-19 cases per day to more than 2,400.



The mutation did not appear to make the virus more dangerous or change patients’ outcomes, according to the study.



A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.31.20166082v2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">similar study</a>&nbsp;from earlier this month found evidence that the United Kingdom was also overtaken by the same virus strain over the spring.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h5>



Scientists are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/mutant-virus-should-we-be-worried-sars-cov-2-changing-covid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">not surprised</a>&nbsp;that coronavirus has evolved over time. Mutations take place when a virus replicates and, after infecting more than 30 million people, coronavirus has had plenty of opportunities to mutate. Most mutations have no impact, but this process sometimes changes the virus’ behavior or makeup, and if that change helps the virus spread, a mutated version of the virus can eventually dominate through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02544-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">natural selection</a>. This study from Houston is the latest evidence that coronavirus is changing as it moves around, possibly becoming slightly more infectious in the process.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h5>



&nbsp;If coronavirus is evolving over time, that process could impact the effectiveness of a vaccine. The virus rarely infects the same person twice, but some research shows that reinfection is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/coronavirusfrontlines/2020/09/22/can-you-get-a-covid-19-infection-twice-an-infectious-disease-doctor-discusses-new-evidence/#130382fd7b09">more possible</a>&nbsp;if a patient gets two different strains of coronavirus. For that reason, as the virus changes, a vaccine might need to change along with it.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h5>



“We’ll have to chase the virus and, as it mutates, we’ll have to tinker with our vaccine,” David Morens, a virologist and advisor at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the&nbsp;Washington Post.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h5>



<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/09/23/houston-coronavirus-mutations/?arc404=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Massive genetic study shows coronavirus mutating and potentially evolving amid rapid U.S. spread (Washington Post)</a>



<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/mutant-virus-should-we-be-worried-sars-cov-2-changing-covid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mutant virus: should we be worried that Sars-CoV-2 is changing? (The Guardian)</a>



<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02544-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The coronavirus is mutating — does it matter? (Nature)</a>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/coronavirusfrontlines/2020/09/22/can-you-get-a-covid-19-infection-twice-an-infectious-disease-doctor-discusses-new-evidence/#130382fd7b09">Can You Get A Covid-19 Infection Twice? An Infectious Disease Doctor Discusses New Evidence (Forbes)</a>



-By Joe Walsh, Forbes Staff

Coronavirus blood test in hospital laboratory

Coronavirus May Have Mutated To Become More Contagious, Study Finds

Last weekend, close to 1,000 residents flocked to two middle schools in predominantly black Houston communities, waiting patiently in their cars to receive free COVID-19 testing.&nbsp;



Unlike many other cities nationwide, Houston has had free testing available to the public but “some people, definitely minorities because we are overlooked, just aren’t aware or aren’t taking it seriously,” Tina Knowles-Lawson, a Houston native herself, tells&nbsp;Forbes.



That lack of awareness in the community inspired Knowles-Lawson to create the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.beyonce.com/article/beygood-houston-covid19-mobile-testing/" target="_blank">#IDIDMYPART</a> campaign. Launched in partnership with daughter Beyoncé and her BeyGOOD initiative, the campaign encourages black and brown residents—the demographic <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.tmc.edu/news/2020/05/coronavirus-connection-a-texas-medical-center-continuing-update/" target="_blank">that’s dying at a faster rate</a> than any other in the state—to seek free COVID-19 testing. The campaign ran two testing locations on May 8 and 9, 2020, with plans to recruit celebrities in other cities to continue the initiative in the weeks and months to come.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="960" height="540" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/960x0.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-45264" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/960x0.jpg 960w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/960x0-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/960x0-600x338.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/960x0-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /><figcaption>A #IDIDMYPART testing site. BEYGOOD/#IDIDMYPART</figcaption></figure>



“It&#8217;s associated with Beyoncé, in some way, so it’s a cool thing, you know?” says Knowles-Lawson. “And it’s working, because people are still going to testing sites.”



The testing locations kept that cool factor in mind. As volunteer medical professionals from the United Memorial Medical Center administered tests (the hospital is following up with each individual attendee), DJs spun the latest hits from Beyoncé and other artists. And on their way out, attendees were given vouchers to two of Houston’s most popular restaurants: Frenchy’s and Burns Original BBQ. “You didn’t have to get in your head about the test; it wasn’t so sterile,” says Knowles-Lawson. “It was almost like a celebration of getting tested. We wanted to take away the stigma.”



Knowles-Lawson also wanted to stress health and wellness more holistically, so other products including vitamins, grooming supplies, toilet paper, gloves and masks were also handed out, thanks in part to the campaign’s partners including Procter &amp; Gamble, Matthew 25 Ministries, supermarket chain H-E-B and TWC Logistics Trucking. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="960" height="523" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/beygood.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-45262" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/beygood.jpg 960w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/beygood-300x163.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/beygood-600x327.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/beygood-768x418.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /><figcaption>Cars lined up at an #IDIDMYPART testing site. COURTESY OF BEYGOOD/#IDIDMYPART</figcaption></figure>



“People are getting upset when they see people with no mask on, but a lot of people just don&#8217;t have them,” says Knowles-Lawson.



That the campaign took place on Mother’s Day weekend was just a coincidence, but was still a fitting time for the mother-daughter collaboration to launch. Knowles-Lawson, who grew up impoverished in Galveston, Texas, has always sought to instill the give-back mentality in her daughters, Beyoncé and Solange. “It was five kids at home, and my sister had eight children, and they were always at our house—our little two-bedroom house,” recounts Knowles-Lawson, with a laugh. “But my mom could stretch a piece of steak. She just shared all the time. I never forgot that.” Once they were old enough, Beyoncé and Solange were continuing the family’s acts of service, spending their Sundays feeding Texas’ homeless community after church.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="960" height="539" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/beygood-3.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-45263" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/beygood-3.jpg 960w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/beygood-3-300x168.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/beygood-3-600x337.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/beygood-3-768x431.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /><figcaption>A sign at the #IDIDMYPART testing site. BEYGOOD/#IDIDMYPART</figcaption></figure>



Beyoncé’s also teamed up with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2020/04/25/beyonce-and-twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-announce-6-million-covid-19-relief-to-support-mental-health/#6cd97cd26469">to donate $6 million</a>&nbsp;in support of mental health and wellness organizations in Houston, New York, New Orleans and Detroit.



And the #IDIDMYPART campaign isn’t limited to Houston. It’s challenging other celebrities to continue the initiative in other cities nationwide. Several have already answered the call. Tyler Perry has vowed to implement the initiative in Atlanta, Octavia Spencer aims to set up sites across Mississippi, and Cookie and Magic Johnson will lead the charge in Detroit.



“Nothing would make me happier than to see people use their platforms to get this information out,” says Knowles-Lawson. “People are getting testing who wouldn’t otherwise. We can keep the momentum going.”



&#8211; <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/briannegarrett/">Brianne Garrett</a>, Forbes Staff, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/forbeswomen">ForbesWomen</a>

Tag: Houston

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Coronavirus May Have Mutated To Become More Contagious, Study Finds

Beyoncé And Tina Knowles-Lawson Are Accelerating Coronavirus Testing In Underserved Communities—And Challenging Other Celebrities To Do The Same