Scientists said on Wednesday that the genetic analysis of samples from more than 7,500 people infected with Covid-19 indicates that the new coronavirus spread rapidly around the world late last year and that it is adapting to its human hosts.

A study by scientists at the University of London Institute of Genetics (UCL) found nearly 200 recurrent genetic mutations of a new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which researchers said showed how it could evolve as it spread to humans.

The results showed that a large proportion of the global genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 is found in all of the most affected countries said Francois Palux, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who co-led the research. This indicates that the virus has already spread widely throughout the world since the beginning of the epidemic.

All viruses mutate naturally Balox said The mutations by themselves are not a bad thing and there is no indication that SARS-CoV-2 is mutating faster or slower than expected. Until now we cannot say whether SARS - CoV-2 is more or less lethal and infectious. 

According to Reuters statistics, more than 3.68 million people have been infected with the new coronavirus around the world, and 256,000 people have died. The infection has been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since cases were first identified in China in December 2019.

Balloux said the results of the UCL team, published on Wednesday in Infection, Genetics, and Evolution, confirmed that the virus appeared in late 2019 before it spread quickly across the world.
The study could not confirm the exact starting point or location.

The Balloux team has examined the genomes of more than 7,500 virus-infected patients worldwide. Its findings add to growing evidence that SARS-CoV-2 viruses share a common ancestor in late 2019, indicating that when the virus originated from a previous animal host to humans.
This means that the virus that causes Covid-19 is unlikely to be in human blood circulation for a long time before it was first discovered, Balloux said.

A study by French scientists published earlier this week found that a man had Covidien 19 on December 27, about a month before France confirmed its first cases.
The World Health Organization said the French case was "not surprising" and urged countries to investigate any other suspected cases early.

Balloux 198 said the small genetic changes, or mutations, identified by the study appear to have occurred independently more than once. These may be clues as to how the virus adapts and assists in efforts to develop medicines and vaccines.

The main challenge in defeating viruses is that a vaccine or medication may not be effective if the virus mutates Balloux said If we focus our efforts on parts of the virus that are less likely to mutate we are more likely to develop effective drugs in the long run.