Chinese researchers have discovered a bat coronavirus, known as HKU5-CoV-2, that uses the same cell-surface protein to enter human cells as SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. The new virus contains a feature called the furin cleavage site, which helps it bind to the ACE2 receptor protein on cell surfaces.
Lab experiments showed that HKU5-CoV-2 infected human cells with high ACE2 levels in test tubes and models of human intestines and airways. Researchers also identified monoclonal antibodies and antiviral drugs that target the bat virus.
While concerns have been raised about another pandemic, an infectious disease expert notes that there is significant immunity to similar SARS viruses in the population, which may reduce the risk of emergence. The study suggests that the “risk of emergence in human populations should not be exaggerated” due to the virus’s lower binding affinity to ACE2 and other suboptimal factors for human adaptation.
The findings have sparked a reaction in the stock market, with shares of COVID vaccine makers Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax rising after the study was reported.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/chinese-researchers-find-bat-virus-enters-human-cells-via-same-pathway-covid-2025-02-21