Tens of thousands of SARS-CoV-2 variants have been identified globally, but scientists say the mutation does not help the virus infect any faster.
In a study based on the SARS-CoV-2 genome data from 46,723 Covid-19 patients in 99 countries, researchers detected 12,700 variants of the pathogen.
"Fortunately, we have not found any mutations that are capable of accelerating the spread of the virus," said Professor Lucy van Dorp at University College London (UCL).
"We need to be vigilant and continue to monitor for mutant strains of the pathogen, especially when the Covid-19 vaccine is distributed and applied," Dorp added.
Most viruses change frequently, but most mutations are neutral, with only a few having a positive or negative effect on the pathogen.
This makes researchers have to regularly monitor and adjust to maintain the effectiveness of the vaccine.
According to Professor Francois Balloux of UCL, the above study results show that the presence of thousands of SARS-CoV-2 variants does not affect the effectiveness of the current Covid-19 vaccine.
But Professor Balloux also warned that a large-scale application of the vaccine in the near future could cause the Covid-19 pathogen to change in a more unpredictable way in order to enter the human body.
The aforementioned study was carried out by scientists from UCL and Oxford University in the UK, in conjunction with the Center for International Research and Development (CIRAD) and Universite de la Reunion in France.
Of the more than 12,706 variations detected, the researchers said, 398 mutant strains appeared repeatedly and independently.