Chinese scientists have identified a new bat coronavirus called HKU5-CoV-2, which is causing grave worries about a resurgence of the coronavirus.
At the Guangzhou Laboratory, renowned virologist Shi Zhengli conducted research on the virus that was posing a major threat.
The virus has been found in Chinese bats, according to information published in the Cell Journal. It is comparable to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in that it may enter human cells by using the ACE2 receptor.
Researchers stress that bat coronavirus still has a limited capacity to infect humans.
The HKU5 virus variant known as HKU5-CoV-2 was initially identified in Japanese pipistrelle bats in Hong Kong. Like the MERS virus, it is a member of the merbecovirus subgenus.
According to the study, this novel virus has a furin cleavage site, which facilitates viral entrance into human cells, just like SARS-CoV-2.
Human cells with strong ACE2 expression could be infected by HKU5-CoV-2, according to lab tests, especially in intestinal and airway models. Additionally, scientists have discovered antiviral medications and monoclonal antibodies that might work well against the virus, offering possible therapeutic alternatives in the event that it spreads.
Since HKU5-CoV-2 does not bind to human ACE2 receptors as well as SARS-CoV-2, Chinese researchers have minimized the threat posed by this virus. According to the report, “the risk of human transmission should not be overstated,”
University of Minnesota infectious disease specialist Michael Osterholm likewise downplayed worries, describing the response as “exaggerated.” He pointed out that since the Covid-19 epidemic, there has been an improvement in worldwide immunity against SARS-like viruses, which lowers the likelihood of another widespread outbreak.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 after it spread from China in late 2019 and caused a global health disaster. One of the deadliest pandemics in history, at than 7 million confirmed deaths have been reported worldwide as of February 2025.
