@Pirbright_Inst @NCPV @Micro_MDPI Can you comment on Professor Gallaher's statement concerning the possibility of SARS-COV-2 recombining with

@NCPV @Micro_MDPI Gallaher's "Prophecy" Is it Likely?
MERS + SARS-COV-2 Combo Event
MERS Situation Update - January 2020
https://t.co/K2AB0fTpJT
SA Cases:
https://t.co/ix083ozN0v
UAE Cases:
https://t.co/eCBVg3oSPo

@NCPV @Micro_MDPI 1. "Specificity of S is largely responsible for widespread & rapid communicability of SARS-CoV-2, with relatively low virulence in most infected; in contrast, spread of MERS is more easily contained, but its virulence is much higher, at 35%."

@NCPV @Micro_MDPI 2. A virus with high communicability of SARS-CoV-2 & the virulence of MERS would be apocalyptic in its impact!
There is a breakpoint sequence in MERS S (25215CAGAT) that is similarly very close in relative position to 25047CAGAT in SARS-CoV-2.....

@NCPV @Micro_MDPI 3. There is a 4th breakpoint sequence, between the receptor binding domain of MERS & the S1/S2 junction, that is precisely conserved in sequence & position with the corresponding location of SARS-CoV-2:
23577CAGAC in MERS
23300CAGAC in SARS-CoV-2

Compilation Thread on ORF8 ORF8 or Fate?
1. ZLS (2018):
"Considering the variability of orf8 in bats, civets and humans, investigating the function of orf8 is a priority, particularly the contribution of these different variants to viral pathogenesis."

2. ORF8 or Fate?
"In addition to receptor binding, proteolytic cleavage of S & potentially other mutations that affect virion & trimer stability may be important for virus transmissibility in different hosts, & these factors need to be studied

3. ORF8 or Fate?
Overwhelmingly these viruses had mutations or
29 deletions in ORF8 - associated with reduced replicative fitness of the virus.. may be associated with host adaptation
via @CarltheChippy
382-nt deletion during early evolution of

4. ORF8 or Fate?
@franciscodeasis reviewed the list of read filenames according to dates and labels:
- Sat 2017-06-03 (7896)
- Sat 2017-06-17 to Tue 2017-06-20 (7896 and ORF8)
- Thu 2018-09-27 to Sun 2018-09-30 (RaTG13)
- Mon 2018-10-08 to Sun 2018-10-14 (no label and TSS)

5. ORF8 or Fate?
What is ORF8? This is Orf8!
https://t.co/21ugtiinhL