NeoCov: Needs more study says WHO

New Delhi, Jan 29: The World Health Organisation said that the NeoCov COVID-19 variant discovered by the Chinese needs more study. "Whether the virus detected in the study will pose a risk for humans will require further study," Russian news agency TASS said while quoting WHO.

Coronaviruses are often found in animals, including in bats which have been identified as a natural reservoir of many of these viruses," WHO said.

A new variant NeoCov has been found in some parts. Scientists from Wuhan where COVID-19 originated have said it may have a higher transmission rate compared to the previous strains and could potentially be the deadliest of them all.

"Our study demonstrates the first case of ACE2 usage in MERS-related viruses, shedding light on a potential bio-safety threat of the human emergence of an ACE2 using "MERS-CoV-2" with both high fatality and transmission rate," the scientists wrote.

"Immunity triggered by prior infection or vaccination of other coronaviruses might be inadequate to protect humans from NeoCoV and PDF-2180-CoV infections because neither SARS-CoV-2 anti-sera nor ten tested anti-MERS-CoV nanobodies can cross-inhibit the infection caused by these two viruses," the researchers said.

The MERS-CoV is similar to SARS-CoV-2 when it comes to symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath and fever. It was prevalent in the Middle Eastern countries in 2012 and 2015. Several persons had died due to this infection.