A new coronavirus in bats, similar to that of the virus responsible for Covid-19, has been discovered by researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, potentially signalling a new risk to human health, reported Bloomberg.
The newly discovered virus, however, is yet to be detected in humans. As per the researchers, this virus enters cells via the same receptor used by the Coronavirus that caused Covid-19.
This virus infects cells by binding to a protein found throughout the bodies of humans and other mammals, said the researchers. It’s closely related to the coronavirus family that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome.
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The discovery was detailed in a paper published Tuesday in Cell and is likely to raise alarms about its potential to spread from animals to people.
That virus, also known as MERS, has been confirmed in around 2,600 people globally from 2012 through May 2024, killing roughly 36% of those infected.
The vast majority of the cases were in Saudi Arabia, according to the World Health Organization website.
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The Wuhan Virus Research Centre is known for its work on coronaviruses found in bats. One theory of how the Covid-19 pandemic began is that it leaked from the Wuhan lab, perhaps through an infected worker.
Institute researchers have previously denied working on any viruses that could have started the pandemic. The US in 2023 halted funding for the lab, which had received money through the US-based EcoHealth Alliance, amid the controversy.
Discovery of new Covid virus and stock markets
The announcement has had an immediate impact on the stock market, with shares of vaccine makers seeing significant gains.
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Moderna Inc. rose by as much as 6.6%, while Novavax Inc. climbed 7.8%. American depositary receipts of BioNTech SE, the partner of Pfizer in the development of the Covid vaccine, surged by 5.1%, and Pfizer itself saw an uptick of 2.6%.
