A mutated coronavirus strain is responsible for most of the world's COVID-19 infections. That doesn't mean it's more dangerous than the original.

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• Scientists track genetic errors, or mutations, in the coronavirus' genome to study its evolution over time. 
• A preliminary study suggests a mutated coronavirus strain has become dominant worldwide and is therefore more contagious than the original.  
• But not all scientists agree with that conclusion, since there isn't sufficient evidence that the virus' mutations impacted how dangerous it is.
• It's possible that this dominant form of the virus just "got lucky," one expert said, and seeded major outbreaks in Europe before spreading to the US.
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Preliminary research from scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory suggests that a version of the new coronavirus with a particular mutation is outcompeting all the rest. 

The strain is of "urgent concern,"the scientists wrote. "It began spreading in Europe in early February, and when introduced to new regions, it rapidly becomes the dominant form."See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NOW WATCH: How viruses like the coronavirus mutate

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• 'At some point I'll get sick': 4 coronavirus doctors expose the overwhelmed U.S. healthcare system through daily diaries

SEE ALSO: Yes, the coronavirus mutates. But those tiny changes haven't affected how dangerous it is — instead, they help scientists track its spread.