Viral Mutations: A Balancing Act Between Transmission & Virulence

Ever since COVID-19 was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on January 30th, 2020 and subsequently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11th, 2020, a topic that quickly followed was the speed at which the virus was mutating. The reality is that mutations are a normal part of the life cycle in microorganisms and infectious agents such as viruses. Nonetheless, there is a lot of public concern and uncertainty about these mutations an...