Investigations into the Origin of SARS-CoV-2: An Update

Since January 2020, scientists have been using both experimental and bioinformatic approaches to study the key molecular features of SARS-CoV-2, the causa-tive agent of COVID-19. These studies have estab-lished that the genome of this virus is overall similar to that of viruses found in bats. However, there are genomic stretches which show strong similarity with viruses identified from other animals. The rapid deve-lopments of this subject have provided insights into how this novel virus has evolved from a number of progenitors and gained attributes that have made it a formidable pathogen. This review presents the salient features of these peer-reviewed findings and how the scientific evidence contradicts the ‘conspiracy theo-ries’ floating around.