There is an unprecedented availability of data for the SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for the Covid-19 disease. Soon after the outbreak of the epidemic, labs all over the world have started sequencing its genomic strain and share results in a huge database (GISAID). Starting from more than 50.000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences and from an assumption of Quasi-Linkage Equilibrium for the viral population, the authors exploit a tool from Inverse Statistical Physics - or DCA, Direct coupling analysis - to spot evidences of epistatic interactions between pairs of loci within the genome (we say there is epistasis between loci A and B if the effect of a mutation in A depends on the mutation in B). As a result, interactions between pairs of loci loci belonging to 8 viral genes are spotted. The research could be useful in suggesting new combinatorics of pharmacological treatments for the disease, aside from contributing to the understanding of the biology underlying the virus machinery.

The research project has been designed by prof. Erik Aurell (KTH) and  performed in collaboration with prof. Hongli Zeng (NJUPT) in NORDITA, Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics, Stockholm, Sweden.