@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