A new study using artificial intelligence (AI) has revealed a surprising possibility about the origins of COVID-19. Instead of coming from wild animals like bats or pangolins, the research suggests that the virus may have formed from a fusion of two rare human diseases.
This study utilized an advanced technology called max-logistic intelligence to analyze DNA patterns in early COVID-19 patients. The results? Strong genetic links between COVID-19 and two little-known infections—glanders and Sennetsu fever. This discovery could change how we understand the emergence of the virus.
COVID-19: Not from Wildlife?
For years, scientists believed that COVID-19 originated from wild animals, but this research presents another possibility. Lead researcher Zhengjun Zhang from the University of Wisconsin explained that his team examined over 865,000 DNA sites in blood samples from early COVID-19 patients. Their analysis found genetic traces of two rare human diseases within the virus.
“Finding this connection is not just a coincidence. Statistically, the chance of this happening randomly is less than one in ten million,” Zhang stated. “But since these diseases are so rare, the odds of discovering a meaningful link drop even further, to just one in one hundred million.”
A More Advanced AI Technology
The max-logistic intelligence technique used in this study has previously been applied in cancer biomarker research. This method is more accurate than traditional AI or other modern machine learning techniques. It not only identifies genetic patterns more effectively but also helps in understanding cause-and-effect relationships more clearly.
Zhang also emphasized the importance of DNA methylation, a process where methyl groups are added to DNA, influencing gene expression and disease development. Errors in this process can trigger various diseases, possibly including COVID-19.
What Does This Mean?
If these findings prove to be true, our understanding of COVID-19’s origins could shift dramatically. Instead of a virus jumping from animals to humans, it might have resulted from a combination of pre-existing human diseases. This could also impact how we prepare for and respond to future pandemics.
This research was published in Advances in Biomarker Sciences and Technology and could be a stepping stone toward uncovering the true origins of the virus that changed the world.