Mutation of SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) and probable recombination with SARS-COV-1 / MERS type coronavirus could be catastrophic

[DavidJow]

Mutation of SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) and probable recombination with SARS-COV-1 / MERS

One of the likely mutations in the next decade with variants, or strains of the type SARS-COV-1 or MERS could cause an unprecedented biological catastrophe

SARS-COV-2, which appeared in 2019, has SARS-COV-1 and MERS as a "close cousin", with a genetic proximity of the order of more than 80%, would have great capacities to be able to recombine with others SARS-like coronavirus, as described.
The main mechanism of coronaviruses is the ability to be able to recombine very easily, as with influenza viruses which recombine very easily and create new strains, hence the need to create new vaccines each year.
The big difference between SARS-COV-2 and SARS-COV-1 and MERS is the death rates.
The death rate from COVID-19 is around 2 to 5%
The death rate from SARS-COV-1 & MERS, is around 20-40 %
The difference is the contagion rate, we were lucky to be able to control the old coronaviruses because of their low contagious rate.
The problem is that if SARS-COV-2 were to mutate, recombine with a coronavirus with a very high death rate, while keeping a very high rate of contagion, could cause a collapse, and an unprecedented health disaster in the world, which will cause military confinement, even in the most democratic countries and a catastrophic crisis.

Edited January 10, 2022 by DavidJow

[Excel]

6 minutes ago, DavidJow said:

probable recombination with SARS-COV-1 / MERS

What facts do you have to support your claim of this probability ?

[ezzra]

What a good piece of information to start the day, i'm waiting to read about a mutation of all the above with Delta and Omicron and  genital warts thrown in for good measure...

[tonray]

38 minutes ago, Excel said:

What facts do you have to support your claim of this probability ?

This is ThaiVisa....when were facts ever important. ????

[Scott]

5 minutes ago, tonray said:

This is ThaiVisa....when were facts ever important. ????

Actually, it's Asean Now, but I get your point!

[internationalism]

for mers there were some experimental medicines used, drug re-purposing,

chance they can work also for mers mutations  

[Scott]

Recombination is a little different from mutations.  Recombination occurs when different strains, or even a different virus are able to exchange genetic material.  

 

Mutations occur by antigenic drift.  Mutations aren't as common in Coronaviruses as some other viruses because they have an 'error' editor mechanism that throws out copies that aren't an exact duplicate.  Think of it as a printer which copies every page exactly the same but occasionally the printer picks up two pages and copies part on one page and part on another.  

The OP is talking about a recombination of genetic material from either the original, and rather deadly SARS, or the even more deadly MERS.  In that case something would need to be infected by two viruses and the genetic material could recombine when both infect the same cell.