Covid-Like Bat Virus HKU5-CoV-2 Found at Wuhan Lab: Can It Infect Humans?

Covid-Like Bat Virus HKU5-CoV-2 Found at Wuhan Lab: As the promoters of the vaccines began their plummeting descent and the stocks of the vaccine companies skyrocketed, the discovery celebrated on Friday was announced at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. Upon giving that sweet glimmer of hope to some vaccine manufacturers, their stock prices soared.

In a journal report by scientists, word of a new HKU5-CoV-2 virus was circulating. This variant does not infect human cells as easily as SARS-CoV-2, therefore, the "risk of emergence into human population should not be exaggerated".

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What is the new bat virus and how does it spread?

HKU5-CoV-2 shares features in common with both the Covid-19 virus and the virus that causes Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) as they are all derivatives of HKU5 cervical type viruses.

Researchers indicated that HKU5-CoV-2, like SARS-CoV-2, has a feature known as a furin cleavage site that enables it to enter cells via the ACE2 receptor protein on cell surfaces.

It's excellent for lab work, infecting high ACE2 human cells in vitro, especially in models of human intestines and airways.

There is spread among bats, but uncertainty prevails concerning the risk of the virus jumping from animal sources into man. Not every coronavirus has human hosts, with coronaviruses ranging in pathology from common cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Coronavirus disease-2019 (Covid-19).

Fanatic reactions are uncalled for, opined Michael Osterholm, researcher and infectious disease expert from the University of Minnesota, in a comment to Reuters.

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Are there any symptoms to the virus?

Mers shares symptoms with HKU5 coronaviruses, such as fever, cough, fatigue, congestion, sneezing, chills, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, diarrhea, and vomiting.

What to do to prevent the virus?

Although human infections haven't been confirmed yet, guidelines from the Centre for Disease Prevention clearly state that one must remain updated with their vaccinations, follow preventive guidelines, like washing hands, masking up, and testing for anything else that may suggest an elevated comorbidity risk.

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