Researchers at Wuhan lab discovered a new bat coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, which shares entry pathways with SARS-CoV-2 but poses limited risk to humans.

A newly discovered bat coronavirus uses the same cell-surface protein to gain entry into human cells as the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, raising the possibility that it could someday spread to humans,

In laboratory tests, the team observed that HKU5-CoV-2 was capable of infecting human cell cultures in the mini-human organ models they utilized.

The recently identified HKU5-CoV-2 virus has been found in bats within China. While there is a potential risk of transmission to humans, researchers have noted that further investigation is needed to determine the specifics of animal-to-human transmission.

Detection of a new coronavirus in bats that enters cells using the same gateway as the virus that causes COVID-19 raises the possibility that it could spread to humans.

This newly isolated strain can bind to the ACE2 receptor in human cells, the same pathway used by the Covid-19 virus.

CoV-2, has raised concerns due to its ability to infect human cells, much like the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the virus was identified by a team of virologists led by Shi Zhengli,

The discovery of HKU5 coronavirus lineage (HKU5-CoV-2) in bats was led by Shi Zhengli, the Chinese virologist known as the “batwoman” due to her research on bat coronaviruses. Like SARS-CoV-2, the bat virus HKU5-CoV-2 contains a feature known as the furin cleavage site that helps it to enter cells.

A research team led by "bat lady" Shi Zhengli found a new bat strain of coronavirus, which could pose a potential threat on humans. Read on to know whether it could lead to another pandemic.