New study reports coronavirus epidemic 20,000 years ago in East Asia
The study also claims that it can help to develop a COVID-19 drug.
By GADI ZAIGUpdated: JUNE 27, 2021 21:45A medical worker holds a syringe with Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) before administering an injection at a vaccination centre in a shopping mall in Saint Petersburg, Russia February 24, 2021.(photo credit: REUTERS)
A new study released on Thursday claims that there was a coronavirus epidemic over 20,000 years ago in the East Asian areas.The study, published in Current Biology, highlighted that ancient epidemics can be identified through tracking human genomes, as they contain evolutionary information that dates back millennia, which help identify epidemics that have affected people of the past.Furthermore, the genomes mentioned originate from East Asia, and contain the characteristics of the virus epidemic that is 20,000+ years old and closely related to the COVID-19 pandemic that has been ongoing since early 2020, as 42 genes have been found evolved in response to the current pandemic.Furthermore, the same study can reportedly assist in the development of a drug that can tackle the ongoing virus, and also to better predict possible future heath crises.One of the authors of the study, Yassine Souilmi, who also works at the University of Adelaide as a postdoctoral researcher, stated that the 42 genes found can be analyzed in order to develop the drugs to combat the virus. Healthcare access, work exposure and the accessibility of tests all take into account of the current virus's epidemiology.
