What The COVID-19 Pandemic Tells Us About How Viruses Evolve : Short Wave

Published Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2025 07:00:59 GMT | By NPR On https://www.npr.org

Upcomingweb USA Health Latest News - Early in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists predicted the SARS-CoV-2 virus would mutate slowly. They were wrong. Hundreds of thousands of viral mutations and multiple seasonal waves later, we now know why. The answer changes researchers' understanding of viral evolution — and it could help predict the evolution of other viruses in the future. Emily talks about it all with Sarah Zhang, a health writer for The Atlantic. Want to hear more virology or human biology stories? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org.