A new coronavirus, named HKU5-CoV-2, has been discovered in bats by a team of coronavirus experts from the Wuhan Institute of Virology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The research suggests that this virus, like COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), is able to invade cells through the ACE2 receptor. This finding has drawn significant attention from the scientific community; however, the researchers emphasize that there is currently no evidence that the virus can spread among humans.
New virus HKU5-CoV-2 found in bats
According to a report from the South China Morning Post on February 21, research teams from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Guangzhou Academy of Sciences, and the Guangzhou Laboratory have recently published their findings in the international scientific journal Cell. They have discovered a new coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, in bats, which is a new member of the coronavirus family.
Similar infection mechanism to COVID-19
The research report indicates that HKU5-CoV-2 contains a protease that can bind to the ACE2 receptors of humans and other mammals, thus infecting cells. This method of infection is the same as that of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). Scientists further simulated the invasion of the virus into human intestinal and respiratory models in the laboratory, and the results showed that the virus can efficiently infect ACE2 receptors. Its binding ability is even stronger than the original strain of COVID-19, and its host range is wider.
Does it pose a threat to humans?
Although HKU5-CoV-2 exhibits a similar infection pathway to COVID-19, the researchers emphasize that the efficacy of this virus is much lower than that of COVID-19 and has not been detected in the human body. In other words, this research is mainly based on laboratory data, and the virus currently only exists in bats, without confirmed evidence of human-to-human transmission.
Led by Shi Zhengli, the research attracts attention again
This research was led by Shi Zhengli, a Chinese coronavirus expert who has been studying bats and coronaviruses for a long time and is known as the “Bat Woman” in the field. After the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019, there were questions raised about whether the virus originated from her laboratory. She publicly stated that she also had doubts at the time but later confirmed that COVID-19 did not leak from the lab.
Continuous monitoring and research are crucial for the future
The discovery of HKU5-CoV-2 once again reminds the scientific community that bats are still natural hosts for various coronaviruses. Although there is currently no evidence that this virus poses a direct threat to humans, scientists emphasize that continuous monitoring and research on new viruses are crucial in preventing future potential epidemics.
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