A&M SCIENTISTS IDENTIFY TWO NEW COVID STRAINS

  

Scientists at Texas A&M’s Global Health Research Complex have identified two additional strains of the COVID-19 virus.

BV-2 and BV-3 were recently identified from samples collected from on campus testing of students and faculty. Mandatory COVID-19 saliva testing for students living, studying, or working on the Texas A&M campus in Bryan-College Station began back in March.

Officials say the first sample that led to the identification of the BV-1 strain came from a student who resides off campus but is active on campus originations.  At this time, details of the origin of the two additional strains have not been released.

Texas A&M professor of biology and GHRC Chief Virologist Ben Neuman says the new strains identified are only slight variations from the previously identified variant.

Neuman says the lab is paying close attention to the variant BV-3, which seems to be a combination of variants.