A recent article in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences described differences in the genetic composition of SARS-CoV-2 responsible for COVID-19 infection and other coronaviruses including those causing SARS and MERS.

The research team applied integrated comparative genomics and machine learning to compare the genomes of the three coronaviruses responsible for outbreaks over the past twenty years. The related coronaviruses were associated with high fatality.  Differences in the genes responsible for spike proteins and nucleocapsids were determined.  Changes allow SARS-CoV-2 to express pathogenicity and to infect both animals and humans.

*Gussow, A.B. et al Genomic determinants of pathogenicity in SARS-CoV-2 and other human coronaviruses Proc. Nat.Acad.Sc. doi.rog/10.1073/pnas.2008176117 June 10th 2020.