Coronavirus: A Cell Biologist Explains How a Virus Mutates and Spreads

The video discusses how viruses are adapted to infect specific species, such as humans, cats, and monkeys. It explains that viruses generally do not want to kill their hosts as they aim to thrive and spread within the same species. However, when a virus jumps from an animal to a human, it enters a new environment, which can lead to significant disease outbreaks. The video also covers how viruses, particularly those made of RNA, can mutate, making them less stable than DNA viruses. Despite this, some RNA viruses may show more stability compared to others like influenza.

How does the stability of RNA viruses compare to DNA viruses?

What are the implications of a virus mutating after jumping to a new host?