A study published in Current Biology suggests that SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, may have originated from pangolins. Researchers found that pangolin-CoV, a coronavirus detected in dead Malayan pangolins, is 91.02% identical to SARS-CoV-2 at the whole-genome level, making it the second closest relative to SARS-CoV-2 after BatCoV RaTG13. The study also identified key amino acid similarities between pangolin-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, particularly in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) that interacts with human ACE2. However, pangolin-CoV lacks a potential furin cleavage site present in SARS-CoV-2, which may affect its ability to infect humans. The study highlights that pangolins could be a natural reservoir for SARS-CoV-2-like coronaviruses, potentially serving as an intermediate host in the transmission of the virus to humans. While the findings suggest a possible pangolin origin, the exact role of pangolins in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 remains under debate. The study provides genomic evidence supporting the hypothesis that pangolins may be a source of SARS-CoV-2, but further research is needed to confirm this and understand the virus's evolutionary path.A study published in Current Biology suggests that SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, may have originated from pangolins. Researchers found that pangolin-CoV, a coronavirus detected in dead Malayan pangolins, is 91.02% identical to SARS-CoV-2 at the whole-genome level, making it the second closest relative to SARS-CoV-2 after BatCoV RaTG13. The study also identified key amino acid similarities between pangolin-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, particularly in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) that interacts with human ACE2. However, pangolin-CoV lacks a potential furin cleavage site present in SARS-CoV-2, which may affect its ability to infect humans. The study highlights that pangolins could be a natural reservoir for SARS-CoV-2-like coronaviruses, potentially serving as an intermediate host in the transmission of the virus to humans. While the findings suggest a possible pangolin origin, the exact role of pangolins in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 remains under debate. The study provides genomic evidence supporting the hypothesis that pangolins may be a source of SARS-CoV-2, but further research is needed to confirm this and understand the virus's evolutionary path.