A coronavirus discovered ten years ago in South Africa was the subject of a study published in January 2022 by researchers from Wuhan University in China. If the NeoCov has, a priori, no direct link with the Covid-19, the scientists warn of the possibility of a mutation which could make it contagious for humans.
NeoCov is not a new variant but a cousin of Covid-19, discovered in a bat in 2011. This virus was not named so because of its novelty, but after the species of bat – mouse that made it possible to discover it: the Neoromicia capensis.
According to scientists, this coronavirus would be very close (85%) to the MERS-CoV which emerged in the Middle East in 2012, and caused an epidemic in the region.
No contamination to humans
According to the recent publication of the Beijing Scientific Academy and Wuhan University, NeoCov has a lethality rate of around 30 to 35%, much more than Covid-19.
For the time being, it would not be predisposed to infect the human species, and is transmitted between animals. And no case of human contamination with NeoCov has been reported so far.
The researchers, however, demonstrated the possibility for this virus to bind to the ACE2 receptor, the same receptor as Covid-19, but only in bats. To infect a living being, human or animal, viruses use receptors: proteins. The ACE2 protein exists in many species, including humans and bats, but it differs slightly.
If the Neocov does not therefore present any immediate danger to humans, scientists nevertheless warn about its ability to mutate, and potentially become transmissible to humans.
It should be noted that the study in question has not yet received the essential validation by peers from the scientific community.