Another pandemic brewing? Newly found coronavirus HKU5-CoV-2 in bats in China could be the next global threat; will vaccines work? Here are all details

Chinese investigators have found a new coronavirus in bats in China, which has a potential threat of causing the next pandemic, as per a report.

Risks similar to COVID-19

The researchers at Wuhan Institute of Virology found that the new virus called HKU5-CoV-2 has similarities to SARS-CoV-2, the virus which led to the COVID-19 pandemic, because this too can infiltrate human cells called ACE2 the same way Covid did, reported Daily Mail.

HKU5-CoV-2 was discovered by a team of virologists led by Shi Zhengli, the famed scientist known as "Batwoman" for her lifetime work in coronaviruses, as per the report. The virus HKU5-CoV-2 was found to belong to the MERS-related group of coronaviruses and has already been shown in laboratory experiments to infect human cell cultures with particular effectiveness in respiratory and intestinal systems, reported Daily Mail.

Could we be facing another pandemic?

According to the report, while hundreds of coronaviruses are known to exist in animals, transmission to human beings is only possible among a few. Viruses like SARS, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2, can cause serious health threats to mankind. The researchers found that the new HKU5-CoV-2 is a coronavirus belonging to the merbecovirus group and is closely related to MERS.

As per the scientists "Bat merbecoviruses, which are phylogenetically related to MERS-CoV, pose a high risk of spillover to humans, either through direct transmission or facilitated by intermediate hosts," as quoted by Daily Mail.

Merbecoviruses have been detected in minks and pangolins, the animal which is considered as the intermediary for COVID-19 between bats and humans, reported Daily Mail. The symptoms of MERS include fever, cough, shortness of breath, diarrhoea and vomiting, and can be fatal in severe cases.

During the research, it was found that the HKU5-CoV-2 infected model organs and tissues of the respiratory and intestinal systems, reported Daily Mail. While the scientists have said "the potential for HKU5-CoV-2 to spillover to humans remains to be investigated," as per the report.

According to Daily Mail, until now only two patients in the US have ever tested positive for MERS in May 2014 and each case was linked to travel from the Middle East. However, there is no vaccine against the virus yet, the report added.

FAQs

What is the new virus called?
The new virus is called HKU5-CoV-2. It is a coronavirus belonging to the merbecovirus group and is closely related to MERS.

Who is Batwoman?
The virologist Shi Zhengli is known as "Batwoman" for her work on coronaviruses.