NeoCov coronavirus: Scientists in China's Wuhan laboratory have warned of a new strain of COVID-19, NeoCov that reportedly has a high transmission and mortality rate. The new strain of coronavirus is related to the Middle East respiratory syndrome MERS-coronavirus.
As per researchers, NeoCoV carries with it the potentially combined high mortality rate of MERS-CoV, where one in three infected people die on an average and high transmission rate of the current SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
The study has been released in preprint and has not yet been peer-reviewed. It was published on the bioRxiv website.
NeoCoV: Symptoms, Severity, MERS-CoV relation
The studies show that the current COVID-19 vaccinations are inadequate to protect humans from any eventuality of the infections caused by these viruses. The paper adds that extensive mutations in the RBD regions of the SARS-CoV-2 variants may hold a latent potential to infect humans through further adaptation.
What is NeoCoV?
NeoCoV virus is reportedly very similar to the COVID-19 virus that is causing coronavirus in many ways.
Where has NeoCoV been discovered?
NeoCoV has been detected in a population of bats in South Africa and has reportedly exclusively spread among these animals. The NeoCoV virus has been linked to previous outbreaks in Middle East countries in 2012 and 2015.
NeoCoV deadlier variant of COVID-19
According to scientists at China's Wuhan lab, the NeoCoV virus has an extremely high transmission and fatality rate as it can cause death in at least one out of three infected people.
NeoCoV vs Omicron
While Omicron is a highly transmissible variant of COVID-19, it is relatively less severe in comparison to the Delta variant. However, NeoCoV is a more deadly version of the virus.
NeoCoV Symptoms
The symptoms of NeoCoV is the same as that of SARS CoV-2. The mortality rate in the NeoCov virus has been found to be very high - 'one in every three infected individuals will die.'
NeoCoV and MERS-CoV virus
The scientists in China's Wuhan lab have discovered that the NeoCov variant of coronavirus which was found in bats in South Africa is a relative of the MERS fever that was detected previously in 2012 and 2015 in the middle eastern countries.
What is MERS-CoV virus?Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV), initially called as nobvel coronavirus, was first reported in June 2012. The first confirmed case was reported in Saudi Arabia in April 2012. The MERS-CoV virus is species of coronavirus that infects bats, humans and camels. The virus is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus that enters its host cell by binding to the DPP4 receptor. MERS-CoV cases were reported in over 21 countries by July 2015 including in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and North America. The virus was identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a likely cause of a future epidemic and they had listed it for urgent research and development. |
NeoCoV virus- should we be concerned?
The expects from Vector Russian State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology had issued a statement on January 27, 2022 stating that they are aware of the data that Chinese researchers obtained regarding the NeoCov coronavirus. They said that it is not about the emergence of a new coronavirus capable of actively spreading among humans at this time. They said that the Chinese scientists have outlined potential risks that require further study.
Comments
All Comments (0)
Join the conversation