China Discovers New Bat Coronavirus with Potential Animal-to-Human Transmission

Beiijing (The Uttam Hindu): A team of Chinese scientists has identified a new bat coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, which has the potential for animal-to-human transmission as it binds to the same human receptor as COVID-19 and SARS, according to the reports. 

The research, conducted by the Guangzhou Laboratory in collaboration with the Guangzhou Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, found that the virus can infect human cells and artificially-grown lung and intestine tissues. It also binds to ACE2 receptors in humans, bats, and other animals, raising concerns about cross-species transmission.  

While the virus exhibits a stronger binding ability than its original strain, researchers emphasized that it is far less potent than SARS-CoV-2 and the risk of widespread human transmission remains low. The study was led by Shi Zhengli, a prominent scientist from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which has previously faced scrutiny over lab leak theories regarding COVID-19.  

China has dismissed past claims that the COVID-19 pandemic originated from a lab leak, asserting that the virus emerged naturally. The first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Wuhan in December 2019, eventually leading to a global pandemic that resulted in nearly seven million deaths.