New pandemic fears as bat coronavirus has ‘excessive potential’ to unfold in people
EXCLUSIVE: Leading scientists have said a newly-discovered Covid strain found in bats has high transmission potential, but currently poses little risk to the public
(Image: Getty Images)
A new mystery coronavirus strain found in bats has the ‘high potential’ to spread among humans, experts have warned. The SARS-CoV-2, known as Covid-19, possesses a furin cleavage site (FCS) on its surface spike proteins, the trait that made it so infectious during the 2020 pandemic.
A new discovery found this same trait in a Brazilian coronavirus species, known as HKU5-CoV-2, seemingly disproving the popular theory that Covid 19 was made in a lab. Laboratory tests have shown that the virus is capable of affecting human lungs and intestines through the same method as Covid-19.
However, Dr Gareth Nye, of the University of Salford, was quick to point out that: “It’s a lot less effective than Covid-19, meaning the immediate danger of this bat coronavirus is currently low”.
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Following the discovery, researchers hoped to establish the virus’ zoonotic potential, meaning the potential that it can mutate and spread from bats to humans.
Dr Nye, a biomedical science lecturer at the University of Salford, said: “Its zoonotic potential is high, as it can bind to a number of different mammal species, and it could mutate and pass an adapted version onto humans”.
Dr Gareth Nye(Image: University Of Chester)
The virus currently has no reported cases of human transmission, meaning that while experts have speculated it won’t be as infectious as Covid-19, there is no data to provide certainty.
As it stands, experts are confident that any new developments can be met by the extensive work the world’s virologists have done on preventing new Covid cases.
Professor Paul Klapper OBE is a Professor of Clinical Virology at the University of Manchester and was recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours in 2024 for services to virology.
(Image: University of Manchester )
Professor Klapper said: “The work we’ve done suggests a suitable vaccine could be rapidly produced and deployed if such a virus began human-to-human transmission”.
He continued: “People should not be specifically worried about this virus, but of recent viral pandemics, more than 50% arose in this way.
“Zoonotic viral infection is a threat because of the burgeoning world population and increase in wildlife-human interactions, together with climate change and its effect on wildlife”.
