Background and aims: The end of 2019 has marked the year, which the human population encountered a novel virus; SARS-CoV-2 that causes a disease namely COVID-19. Here we focused on the genome and protein mutations and subsequently suggested a new classification of the SARS-CoV-2.
Materials and Methods: Our study showed that some extra positions in the virus genome play a key role in the SARS-CoV-2 classification. Based on the analysis of the whole genome sequences of 93 viruses.
Results: mutations were classified into nine divisions including IA-1, IA-2, IA-3, IB, II, L1, L2, L3 and S. Totally, 279 mutations were found in the SARS-CoV-2 genomes. 24 mutations lead to the amino acid frame shifting, of which 15 mutations lead to positive frame shifting in amino acids sequences.
Conclusion: Sequence alignment of these positions with that of ancestors showed no change suggesting that they might have occurred in the SARS-CoV-2 genomes to adapt itself to humans.