While the type of coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, continues to sign new cases all over the world with its Omicron variant, studies on other coronavirus types continue. A new study by a group of researchers from Wuhan University and the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed a frightening information.
The research, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, and published as a preview, focused on a type of coronavirus found in South Africa, called ‘NeoCoV’. It has been revealed that this virus, which is the closest relative of the MERS-CoV virus, which is currently only detected in bats, but also previously seen in humans, can be transmitted to humans.
Today’s treatments and vaccines are ineffective, tens of times more deadly than Sars-CoV-2:
In the study they shared, scientists revealed that NeoCoV and its closest relative, PDF-2180-CoV, can use some types of bat ‘Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)’ and, worst of all, human ACE2 to infect. Microscopic analyzes revealed that viruses bind to the ACE2 receptor in a different way than other ACE2-utilizing viruses.
One of the most important results of the study was that antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that affects millions of people today, and MERS-CoV-2, could not eliminate this virus. So today’s vaccines and treatments were ineffective against this virus. In addition, according to scientists, this virus is at the level of MERS-CoV-2, with both a high mortality rate and a transmission rate. According to WHO data, 35% of patients in whom MERS-CoV virus was detected died (2,468 positive cases, 851 deaths). In Sars-CoV-2, this rate is approximately 1.40% (356 million total cases/5 million 600 thousand deaths).
The scientists said that their research revealed a “potential biological threat”.
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