Chinese researchers have identified a new type of coronavirus in bats in South Africa. The research states that the virus has latent ability to mutate; however, the World Health Organization has said that its potential needs to be studied further.

Scientists from the Wuhan University, China, have stated that NeoCov can penetrate human cells in the same manner as SARS-CoV-2. It is the closest relative to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). In a paper posted on preprint website bioRxiv, researchers stated that the virus is only one mutation away from becoming dangerous for humans. The paper has yet to be peer-reviewed.

The WHO; however, says that whether the newly discovered NeoCov coronavirus is a threat to humans needs to be evaluated further. The global health agency said that it works closely with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Environment Program (UNEP) to assess and respond to the threat of emerging zoonotic viruses… (ET Healthworld – IANS, January 28, 2022)