ICYMI summary of “The perfect virus: two gene tweaks that turned COVID-19 into a killer” link to article will be at end of thread. Very interesting theories.
1. 2013 researchers find virus that looks like SARS (2003 epidemic) in horseshoe bat. Only infects bats not humans. Note that can jump to humans could cause pandemic. Stop researching not sure why.... 
2. Back to 2013 research find virus binds to ACE2 receptors but have addtl spikes that attach to cells in humans. Spikes like ‘harpoons’ & bind 10x stronger to our cells than SARS 2003.
3. What activates this virus? Why does it stick to our cells 10x stronger than original SARS virus from 2003? & spread quickly?Contagious & deadly especially if >55yrs w other disease states?The additional spikes “harpoons”.
4. These spikes fire like a harpoon & attach to our healthy cells, but it needs a trigger to make this happen. We produce lots of it, enzyme called ‘furin’. It’s like the spikes are a puddle of gasoline & the ‘furin’ is the match that lights the fire.
5. But how did the virus jump from a horseshoe bat to humans? The intermediary (middle man) (Host) may have been an Asian anteater called a pangolin.
6. Quick summary new coronavirus binds/attaches to ACE2 receptors in human body but 10x stronger bc there is addtl spikes/harpoons. The spikes enter the healthy cell & bind strongly. 10x stronger than 2003 SARS. But why does the current coronavirus have spikes?
7. Back to the middle man the anteater (pangolins). They have ACE2 receptors like we do, but are susceptible to other bat viruses. The anteater is already infected by another bat virus that has these ‘furin’ activated spikes.
8. Anteater now gets another virus, one that has the ‘furin’ activated spikes/harpoons. Both viruses combine and we have a coronavirus that if passed from this host to a human can become a deadly virus...pandemic.
9. But there is another theory.
10. How this virus happened we may never know but we do know that it effects certain populations - elderly or anyone w/compromised immune systems. It’s aggressive especially in nursing homes. It’s deadly to these populations if not treated quickly by medical professionals.
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