In February 2020 , Chinese researchers found that there is only one amino acid difference in certain genome sequences between the viruses found in pangolins and those from humans , implying that pangolins may have been an intermediate host.
Before March 2020 , a whole-genome comparison by Chinese researchers revealed that the pangolin coronavirus shared less than 93 % of its genetic material with SARS-CoV-2 making it difficult to affirm that pangolins served as an intermediate host for the coronavirus .