This is a well written article. So many science articles are horrible. I see the author has a PhD which probably helps.
Re “Researchers analyzed the physicochemical properties of the proteins”
It should be: “analyzed the _theoretical_ physicochemical properties of the proteins.” It’s all computational. Modeling. Simulation. Good stuff but no physical chemistry or biophysics were done.
As for the premise, I think that there’s no real evidence any of the slight mutations observed have caused the virus to be attenuated in its disease causing potential. Yet that has not been ruled out.
Theoretically a zoonotic disease would have the properties of beginning deadly but changing to a faster spreading but less deadly strain. But there’s really no precedent to know.
My understanding is “virulence” is the spreading ability not the pathogenicity. Am I wrong or is the wrong word being used in the article?