Abstract
The coronavirus and the influenza virus have similarities and differences. In order to comprehensively compare them, their genome sequencing data were examined by principal component analysis. Variations in coronavirus were smaller than those in a subclass of the influenza virus. In addition, differences among coronaviruses in a variety of hosts were small. These characteristics may have facilitated the infection of different hosts. Although many of the coronaviruses were more conservative, those repeatedly found among humans showed annual changes. If SARS-CoV-2 changes its genome like the Influenza H type, it will repeatedly spread every few years. In addition, the coronavirus family has many other candidates for subsequent pandemics.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Abbreviations
- HCoV
- human coronavirus
- MERS
- Middle East respiratory syndrome
- ORF
- open reading frame
- PCA
- principal component analysis
- SARS
- severe acute respiratory syndrome
- SCoV2
- SARS-CoV-2
- TGEV
- transmissible gastroenteritis virus of swine
