The origin of COVID-19 has been a puzzle since the pandemic’s start. While many believe the virus jumped from animals to humans, a new study using artificial intelligence (AI) suggests a different, surprising possibility: the virus might have emerged from a combination of rare human diseases.
Challenging the Wildlife Theory
For a while, bats and pangolins were prime suspects as the original source of the virus. However, this new research, published in Advances in Biomarker Sciences and Technology, challenges that idea. Scientists used a cutting-edge AI method called “max-logistic intelligence” to analyze the genetic makeup of early COVID-19 patients. Their findings point to a potential link between COVID-19 and two uncommon illnesses: glanders and Sennetsu fever.
AI Uncovers Hidden Connections
The researchers, led by Zhengjun Zhang from the University of Wisconsin, examined specific patterns in DNA called methylation. They looked at a massive amount of data, searching for connections that might reveal the virus’s origins. The AI discovered strong links between COVID-19 and the two rare diseases, suggesting that the virus might have arisen from a fusion of these illnesses with more common human ailments.
A Statistical Anomaly?
The researchers acknowledge the unlikelihood of finding such specific connections by chance. They calculated the probability of random correlations across the genetic data and found it to be incredibly low. The rarity of the diseases further strengthens the significance of the AI’s findings, making the possibility of a link much more plausible.
How the AI Works
The AI method used in this study, max-logistic intelligence, is particularly good at finding cause-and-effect relationships. It’s been used before in cancer research and is known for being more reliable than other AI or machine learning techniques. This makes it a powerful tool for exploring complex biological questions like the origin of COVID-19.
The Importance of DNA Methylation
DNA methylation plays a crucial role in how genes are expressed and how diseases develop. Changes in these methylation patterns can trigger illnesses. By studying these patterns in COVID-19 patients, researchers hoped to find clues about the virus’s origins and how it affects the human body.
What This Means
This study doesn’t definitively prove that COVID-19 came from a combination of human diseases. However, it raises important questions and opens up new avenues for research. It highlights the power of AI to uncover hidden connections in complex data and challenges existing assumptions about the virus’s origins. As research continues, we may get closer to a definitive answer about where COVID-19 came from and how to better prepare for future pandemics.
