Scientists in China revealed the findings of NeoCov which is claimed to be a new variant of the COVID virus. This finding, of course, makes the public worried because it appears in the midst of an unfinished pandemic and the rise of Omicron variants.
NeoCov was discovered by researchers in China as they explored how a coronavirus similar to MERS-CoV interacts with different receptors on different host cells.
The unreviewed research is currently held by BioRxiv, an open access repository of preprinted biological sciences. Here are the facts about the NeoCov virus called the new variant of COVID-19, summarized by us from The Hindu.
Close relative of MERS-Cov
NeoCoV is a bat coronavirus that was first identified in 2011. It was identified in a species of bat known as Neonomicia, from which the name NeoCoV is derived. Commonly known as the aloe vera bat, this species lives in the Afro-Malagasy region. NeoCoV bears an 85% similarity to MERS-CoV in its genome sequence, making it the closest known relative of MERS-CoV.
Does NeoCoV infect humans and cause high mortality?
It is important to note that NeoCoV is inherently unable to interact with human receptors, implying that in its current form the virus cannot infect humans. NeoCoV has not infected humans and therefore does not cause death.
Does not infect humans
Does NeoCoV infect humans and cause death? It is important to note that NeoCoV is not inherently able to interact with human receptors. This implies that in its current form, the virus cannot infect humans. So far NeoCoV has not infected humans and therefore has not caused death.
One day it can be dangerous
In studies it was reported that despite their similarities, MERS-CoV and NeoCoV use different receptors to infect cells. The bat coronavirus NeoCoV was found to use the bat ACE2 receptor to enter cells efficiently and the interaction between the NeoCoV receptor and bat ACE2 was different from what was seen in other ACE2-using coronaviruses.
The preprint report also states that although NeoCoV does not have the potential to use the human ACE2 receptor and infect humans, artificially created specific mutations in the NeoCoV receptor binding domain can increase its efficiency for interacting with the human ACE2 receptor. This mutation has not been seen in natural NeoCov isolates.
SARS-CoV-2 is not the first coronavirus to infect humans and cause a major disease outbreak, nor will it be the last. This study highlights that through further adaptation, coronaviruses such as NeoCoV or other related viruses have the potential to gain the ability to infect humans.
The virus family is monitored
The interaction between humans and animals continues to increase, given the increasing human population and encroachment on animal habitats. While the likelihood of spillovers occurring is rare, increased interactions between humans and animals have the potential to accelerate these occurrences.
To prevent future outbreaks, it is important to monitor this family of viruses for potential zoonotic occurrence while continuing research efforts to understand the use of complex receptors of various coronaviruses.