Researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China said they discovered a new coronavirus in bats that enters cells using the same gateway as the virus that causes COVID-19.

A team of Chinese virologists has identified a novel bat coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, raising fears of potential spillover into human populations. The virus, which shares similarities with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus,

Scientists also discovered that HKU5-CoV-2 might infect human cells as well as small lung or gut tissues cultured in a lab.

A study claims that a new virus has been detected in the Wuhan Lab, where the Covid-19 virus originated. Know all about HKU5-CoV-2 virus.

The virus has a special feature, called a furin cleavage site, that helps it enter cells through the ACE2 receptor protein just like the Covid-19 virus.

The lab finding does raise the possibility that this new bat virus could spread from animals to humans, researchers said in a paper published in the journal Cell

A new bat coronavirus found in China should be monitored “very, very carefully” because it attacks human cells in the same way as Covid-19, virologists have warned.