The coronavirus did not escape from a lab

The video discusses the origins of the novel coronavirus, emphasizing that it was not engineered in a lab. By comparing its RNA sequence to other coronaviruses, researchers concluded that its spike protein design resulted from natural selection. The study, published in Nature Medicine, highlights the virus's effective spike protein, which binds to human cell receptors. Computer models underestimated the virus's infectiousness, suggesting that if it were engineered, different mutations would have been chosen. The virus likely spread from bats to pangolins to humans, with researchers investigating when it developed mutations that increased its infectiousness.

What does the study published in Nature Medicine focus on regarding the novel coronavirus?

Explain the significance of the spike protein in the context of the coronavirus.

What did the scientists find when they simulated the virus in computer models?

Discuss the implications of the spike protein mutations mentioned in the study.

What is speculated about the origin of the virus according to the researchers?