According to Express, Italian doctors claim the deadly virus has “enormously weakened” compared to when it ripped across the world on March and April this year.
Head of Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital, Dr Alberto Zangrillo says the disease is now much less lethal and “no longer clinically exists” in Italy.
He added newly infected patients are showing much milder symptoms and that the number of viruses in their system has decreased significantly, offering some much-needed good news.
Scientific theory suggests viruses may become weaker in order to survive, as killing or incapacitating too many human hosts will limit their capacity to spread.
Another speculation from Dr. Matteo Bassetti, head of infectious diseases at the San Martino hospital that it might be social distancing practise, because most of the people are with face masks and the lockdowns also weaken the strength of the virus, reported by Oriental Daily.
Dr Bassetti said: “The strength the virus had two months ago is not the same strength it has today.” Dr Donald Yealy, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said today that he also believes “the virus is changing.”
“Some patterns suggest the potency is diminished”, he added, pointing to fewer positive tests coming back to his hospital and fewer patients requiring ventilators.
However not all medical professionals are celebrating too soon. World Health Organisation (WHO) don’t agree with the idea that Covid-19 is potentially losing its potency.
Epidemiologist at WHO, Maria Van Kerkhove said: “In terms of transmissibility, that has not changed, in terms of severity, that has not changed.”
Martin Hibberd, a professor of emerging infectious disease at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said there is ‘currently no evidence’ to support the theory.