NeoCov coronavirus discovered by Chinese scientists need further study, says WHO
The WHO claimed that they are aware of the new virus variant developing, but it requires further study to ascertain if it poses a risk to humans.
FollowThe World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday said that the new NeoCov coronavirus, discovered by Chinese scientists, requires further study.Â
A unit of Wuhan researchers found a new kind of coronavirus, NeoCov, among bats in South Africa. The study claimed that the virus might pose a threat to humans in the future. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can bring diseases varying from the common cold initially to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).Â
The WHO claimed that they are aware of the new virus variant developing, but it requires further study to ascertain if it poses a risk to humans.Â
TASS Russain news agency quoted WHO saying, "Whether the virus detected in the study will pose a risk for humans will require further study."
The global body claims that the sources of 75 per cent of the infectious diseases in humans were wild animals. As per WHO, coronaviruses are found in animals, including bats, identified as a natural reservoir of many viruses.
It stated that it is actively working to combat such emerging zoonotic viruses. WHO also expressed gratitude to the Chinese researchers for sharing their findings in preprint form.
Also Read:Â Wuhan scientists warn of new coronavirus strain NeoCov with high death, infection rate
According to the findings, NeoCov can infiltrate human cells like the Covid-19 virus. "NeoCov is only one mutation away from becoming dangerous for humans," the researchers wrote in a preprint repository BioRxiv that has yet to be peer-reviewed.Â
According to a recent study, a single mutation could pass the virus from animals to humans. While NeoCoV was discovered in a South African bat population and has only been known to spread among these animals, a new unpeered-reviewed study published as a preprint on the bioRxiv website discovered that NeoCoV and its close relative PDF-2180-CoV could infect humans.
The virus is related to the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), a viral disease discovered in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
