A South African woman with inadequately treated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), who harbored COVID-19 for nine months, experienced the respiratory virus undergo at least 21 mutations while it was in her body, suggests a new study.

Once the patient adhered to anti-retroviral medication for the treatment of HIV and her immune system was strong, she recovered from the COVID-19 infection within six to nine weeks, revealed the study. The study adds to the available evidence that SARS-CoV-2 may mutate rapidly in immunosuppressed individuals, like people not adhering to HIV treatment, resulting in the development of new variants. The virus harbored by this patient was found to have developed at least 10 mutations on the spike protein, besides 11 other mutations. 

The study has yet to be peer-reviewed… (NDTV – Bloomberg, January 31, 2022)