Researchers at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology have identified a new coronavirus in bats that uses the same entry pathway into cells as the virus responsible for Covid-19. The virus has not been found in humans and was only detected in a laboratory. News of the discovery boosted the stock prices of some vaccine manufacturers on Friday.
Also Read: Covid-19-like bat virus discovered in Wuhan lab, poses risk of animal-to-human transmission
Scientists stated in the journal Cell, as cited by news ageny Reuters, that the virus, known as HKU5-CoV-2, does not enter human cells as easily as SARS-CoV-2 does and that the “risk of emergence in human populations should not be exaggerated”.
What is the new bat virus and how does it spread?
HKU5-CoV-2 shares similarities with Covid-19 as well as the virus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) as they all emerge from the HKU5 coronavirus.
Also Read: The unsettled debate about Covid origins
Researchers stated that like SARS-CoV-2, the new virus also has a feature known as the furin cleavage site that helps it to enter cells via the ACE2 receptor protein on cell surfaces.
In lab experiments, HKU5-CoV-2 infected human cells with high ACE2 levels in test tubes and in models of human intestines and airways.
Also Read: Covid-like virus in China: What is HMPV and what are its symptoms?
Though the virus has spread among bats, researchers are still unsure about the potential risk of animal-to-human transmission of the virus. Not every coronavirus can infect human beings, as coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause diseases ranging from the common cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Coronavirus disease-2019 (Covid-19).
Researcher Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minesotta told Reuters that the reaction to the study on HKU5-CoV-2 was overblown.
Are there any symptoms to the virus?
Symptoms that are shared by the HKU5 category of coronavirus and MERS are fever, cough, fatigue, congestion, sneezing, chills, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, diarrhoea and vomiting.
What to do to prevent the virus?
While the virus has not yet been proven to infect humans, the Centre for Disease Control maintains that one should always stay up to date with immunizations, use precautions to prevent spread such as washing hands thoroughly, masks and testing for any other comorbid risks.
