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Lara Herrero, Research Leader in Virology and Infectious Disease, Griffith University

COVID is a 'smart virus' that can affect DNA – but that doesn't mean you can pass it on to your kids

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The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) has changed the world as we know it. Although new vaccines and antiviral treatments have brought hope, the pesky virus has continued to mutate and evade us.

Knowledge has been building about how this virus operates and why it continues to pose a challenge. We have heard reports of the virus resulting in “immune exhaustion”, potentially triggering autoimmunity (when the body attacks itself) and even shrinking the brain.

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