Chinese scientists have discovered a new bat coronavirus, NeoCov. It is related to the causative agent of Middle East fever MERS and is able to enter cells in much the same way as SARS-CoV-2. About it reported in a preprint published on the BioRxiv portal.
New coronavirus
Researchers from China, led by Wuhan University professor Yan Huang, have discovered a new coronavirus in South Africa that is potentially dangerous to humans. In addition, they warned about the dangers of NeoCov and the risk of it entering the human population.
The spread of this group of viruses should be carefully monitored, given their potential for human exposure.
Chinese scientists
Experts said that in order to penetrate the human body, the virus must mutate. They noted that at the moment it only poses a threat to bats.
Biosecurity risk to humans
Scientists said that the “relatives” of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), like SARS-CoV-2, enter the human body thanks to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 – ACE2. Because of this circumstance, a group of infections creates a “biosecurity risk” for humans.
In this study, we unexpectedly found that NeoCoV and its closest relative PDF-2180-CoV can effectively use some types of angiotensin-converting enzyme in some types of bats (ACE2) and, less favorably, human ACE2 to enter the body.
Chinese scientists
The researchers noted that NeoCoV and its close relative PDF-2180-CoV are able to use certain species of bat and human ACE2 for entry. They explained that the causative agent of Middle East fever infects the human lungs and enters the body using the DPP4 receptor, not ACE2.
At the same time, NeoCov binds to ACE2 in a different way, and not in the way that the causative agent COVID-19 and other coronaviruses do. Therefore, NeoCov is not affected by either antibodies from SARS-CoV-2 or protein molecules that suppress the Middle East fever MERS. It is this factor that makes the pathogen especially dangerous in case of possible penetration into the human population.
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The scientists added that their study has reprint status. This means that their work will be checked by experts in the future.
Latent strain of COVID-19
On January 21, the UK Health Agency (UKHSA) registered a new variety of omicron strain – BA.2. According to preliminary data, this mutation of the coronavirus has an even higher spread rate. The agency stressed that the number of BA.2 infections in the country is low.
At the same time, John Brownstein, a specialist at the Boston Children’s Hospital at Harvard University, said that BA.2 is more difficult to recognize than the original strain of coronavirus – BA.1. That is why neither a PCR test for the presence of COVID-19 nor a rapid test can be used to determine it.
End of the pandemic
Experts give different predictions about the end of the coronavirus pandemic. Now she is going through another peak of the incidence of COVID-19. On January 21, a record number of coronavirus cases was registered in the world in a day. The figure was the highest since the beginning of the pandemic.
3 777 104coronavirus cases
per day recorded on January 20
World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge admitted that it could end after the omicron strain. Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Sokolov doubted this forecast. He believes that the coronavirus will turn into something similar to the flu.
At the same time, a specialist in especially dangerous infections, an immunologist Vladislav Zhemchugov, believes that the coronavirus will leave people for animals. He admitted that the omicron strain would be the last option, after which COVID-19 would change its host and continue to spread in animal populations.
Situation in Russia
As of January 25, 5889 cases of infection with the omicron strain were detected in Russia in 68 regions. The head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, stressed that about 90 percent of them were those who acquired the disease within the country.
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Independent demographer Aleksey Raksha believes that the peak of omicron infection in Russia will fall between February 5 and 11. He noted that now the country is going through the first half of the rapid increase in the incidence. From February 10, the omicron wave in Russia will decline, virologist Pyotr Chumakov is sure. The mutation will disappear as quickly as it appeared, he believes.
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