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Scientific American presents detailed explanations, current as of mid-June, into how SARS-CoV-2 sneaks inside human cells, makes copies of itself, and bursts out to infiltrate many more cells, widening infection. We show how the immune system would normally attempt to neutralize virus particles and how CoV-2 can block that effort.

SARS-CoV-2 genome is a strand of RNA that is about 29,900 bases long—near the limit for RNA viruses (The max is 30,000 bases.)

Usually, because of how large the genome is, many mutations can occur. BUT

Virus’s surprising abilities:

– it contains an accessory protein NORMALLYONLY HUMAN DNA has the capacity to proofread new virus copies as they are being made to prevent mutations that could destroy them

– the virus proteins can block interferons proteins from being made (immune response)

– camouflage sugar molecules on service to get into the cell