The prospect that SARS-CoV-2, the "novel" coronavirus responsible for causing the illness COVID-19, might be mutating and evolving as it spreads across the globe has been such a terrifying prospect for the scientific community, that medical experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci seem to avoid even engaging on the topic.

Asked about the possibility of viral mutation during one of the White House's inaugural task force press briefings, Dr. Fauci assured the public that scientists have found "no evidence" of any concerning mutations, though the prospect that a mutated version of the virus might return during next year's flu season has kept some virologists up at night with nightmares about needing to start the vaccine clock from zero.

The problem is that vaccines often aren't as effective against viruses that mutate, like the flu does every season (that's why you need to keep getting that flu shot year after year).  And now, a new scientific paper that - like most of the coronavirus research being cited in the press - has yet to be peer reviewed claims to have identified a mutation in a sample of the virus collected in India that could create serious problems for researchers working on a vaccine.