New coronavirus transmissible to humans discovered in China: uses same receptor as Covid-19

A team of scientists led by virologist Shi Zhengli has isolated a new virus in bats with the potential to infect humans. Although its potency is lower than Covid-19, concern remains high about a possible species jump

A team of scientists in China has identified a new coronavirus transmissible from animals to humans, specifically bats. The virus uses the same human receptor as Covid-19, ACE2, to enter human cells. Breaking the news was Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, which reported the results of the study conducted by renowned virologist Shi Zhengli, nicknamed “batwoman” for her decades of research on bat coronaviruses. Shi is a leading figure at the Wuhan laboratory, the same one that was in the global spotlight during the Covid-19 pandemic, which was blamed for the origin of the virus escape.

According to the scientists involved in the discovery, the new coronavirus, named HKU5-CoV-2, deserves continuous monitoring. However, they reassured that its ability to infect and spread among humans is significantly less than Covid-19. “The risk of a new pandemic emerging from this virus should not be exaggerated,” the experts pointed out, allaying fears.

The study, published in the scientific journal Cell, showed that the virus can infect not only bats through the ACE2 receptor specific to these mammals, but also through that of humans and other mammals. This ability of the virus to adapt to different species is an alarming sign for scientists, who point to the possibility of species jumping, that is, transmission of the virus from animals to humans. “Bat merbecoviruses,” the study says, ”pose a real risk of spread to humans, either through direct contact or by passing through intermediate hosts.”

Despite the potential dangers, the researchers insist they remain calm, stressing that there is insufficient evidence to say that this virus could trigger a new global health emergency. However, this finding reignites the debate about the need for ongoing epidemiological surveillance, especially in light of lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, whose first official case was five years ago in the hospital in Codogno, Italy.

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