He said there was a lot of immunity in the population to similar SARS viruses compared with 2019, which may reduce the pandemic risk.
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The study itself noted that the virus has significantly less binding affinity to human ACE2 than SARS-CoV-2, and other suboptimal factors for human adaptation suggest the “risk of emergence in human populations should not be exaggerated”.
The Wuhan virus research centre is known for its work on bat coronaviruses.
One theory of how the COVID pandemic began is that it leaked from that lab, perhaps through an infected worker. Institute researchers have previously denied working on any viruses that could have started the pandemic.
The US in 2023 halted funding for the lab, which had received money through the US-based EcoHealth Alliance, amid the controversy.
This newly discovered bat virus infects cells by binding to a protein found throughout the bodies of humans and other mammals. It’s closely related to the coronavirus family that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome.
That virus, also known as MERS, has been confirmed in around 2600 people globally from 2012 through May 2024, killing roughly 36 per cent of those infected. The vast majority of the cases were in Saudi Arabia, according to the World Health Organisation website.
Reuters, Bloomberg
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