It was discovered by the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, where COVID-19 escaped 6 years ago.
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Scientists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China announced the discovery of a new coronavirus in bats that uses the same cellular entry pathway as the virus responsible for COVID-19.
This virus called HKU5-CoV, for now, has not been detected in humans and has only been identified in the laboratory. The news of the discovery boosted the value of shares of several vaccine manufacturers last Friday.
Moderna registered an increase of up to 6.6%, Novavax rose 7.8%, while the American depositary receipts of BioNTech SE, Pfizer's partner in COVID-19 vaccines, increased 5.1%. Meanwhile, Pfizer advanced 2.6%.
Instituto de Virología de Wuhan, en China.
According to Chinese researchers, the finding raises the possibility that this new virus present in certain bats could transmit to humans. They pointed this out in an article published on Tuesday in the journal Cell.
The discovered virus infects cells by attaching to a protein present in the human body and other mammals. Additionally, it is closely linked to the coronavirus family responsible for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
This virus, also identified as MERS, was confirmed in approximately 2,600 people worldwide between 2012 and May 2024, with a mortality rate close to 36% among those infected. Most cases were recorded in Saudi Arabia, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Instituto de Virología de Wuhan, en China.
The Wuhan Institute of Virology became known for its coronavirus research. One of the theories, already confirmed, about the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic holds that the virus leaked from that laboratory, possibly through an infected worker.
The Chinese dictatorship denied conducting experiments with the pathogen that could have triggered the pandemic. In 2023, amid the controversy, the United States suspended funding for the laboratory, which had received funds through the EcoHealth Alliance, based in the U.S., to finance experiments with viruses.
On December 31, the communist regime of Xi Jinping reiterated that it always acted with "transparency" in disclosing information about the origin of COVID-19, something everyone knows is false since the WHO itself accused China of hiding data.
