# Amateur SARS/2019-NCoV RNA Comparison

DevFeed: [Amateur SARS/2019-NCoV RNA Comparison](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/amateur-sars-2019-ncov-rna-comparison-36536.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/sars-ncov-comparison/>)

Published: 2020-01-24T12:42:01Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Bert Hubert's writings](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/bert-hubert-s-writings.md>)

Topics: [Algorithms, Complexity](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/algorithms-complexity.md>), [Computing](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/computing.md>), [JavaScript](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/javascript.md>)

Tags: [algorithm](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/algorithm.md>), [algorithms](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/algorithms.md>), [alignment](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/alignment.md>), [comparison](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/comparison.md>), [computing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/computing.md>), [covid-19](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/covid-19.md>), [dna](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/dna.md>), [javascript](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/javascript.md>)

## AI overview

A rough comparison of the reported SARS and 2019-nCoV genomes using the Needleman-Wunsch alignment algorithm. The author says the amateur comparison found about 80% identity, while noting that this result does not establish what the similarity means.

## Source excerpt

Here is a rough comparison between the reported genomes of SARS and 2019-nCoV ("Wuhan virus"). This is the output of an old but still interesting 'alignment' algorithm called Needleman-Wunsch. In the world of computing we use 'diff' for this purpose, DNA has some specific aspects which are incorporated into the alignment algorithms. Many years ago I wrote a JavaScript demonstration of this algorithm, which can be found here.