A Chinese research team led by virologist Shi Zhengli has discovered a new bat coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, that can spread to humans. The virus uses the ACE2 receptor to infect organisms, similar to SARS-CoV-2 and NL63. Researchers found that HKU5-CoV-2 has a higher potential to infect humans due to its ability to bind to human ACE2.
The study used Cryo-EM technology and infected human cell cultures in mini-human organ models. The researchers concluded that bat merbecoviruses, which are related to MERS-CoV, pose a high risk of spillover to humans.
While the discovery was published in the scientific journal Cell, it is unclear whether HKU5-CoV-2 will cause disease in humans. The US Department of Health and Human Services has been contacted for comment on this development.
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/new-coronavirus-bat-chinese-lab-2034232