The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2

Corresponding author: Kristian G. Andersen

Affiliation: Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA; Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA; Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Tulane University, School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, New Orleans, LA, USA; Zalgen Labs, Germantown, MD, USA.

Publication date: this article was published on March 17, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-0820-9

Highlights

In this article, the researchers review what can be deduced about the origin of SARS-CoV-2 from comparative analysis of genomic data. They offer a perspective on the notable features of the SARS-CoV-2 genome and discuss scenarios by which they could have arisen: (i) natural selection in an animal host before zoonotic transfer; and (ii) natural selection in humans following zoonotic transfer; (iii) selection during passage. Their analyses clearly show that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus.

Nomination Reasons

In the midst of the global COVID-19 public-health emergency, it is reasonable to wonder what the origins of the pandemic. The researchers analyze genomic data and discuss scenarios by which the virus could have arisen and pointed out that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus. Their honest and scientific attitude deserves our respect. In the meanwhile, detailed understanding of how an animal virus jumped species boundaries to infect humans so productively will help in the prevention of future zoonotic events. 

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