Is NeoCov the deadliest strain of Coronavirus ? All about NeoCov.

 "ALL ABOUT NeoCov Virus"

A team of scientists there has warned of a lethal variant called 'NeoCov' that requires only one mutation to infiltrate human cells. A type of coronavirus, NeoCov, that spreads among bats in South Africa, may pose a threat to humans in the future if it mutates further, according to a study by Chinese researchers. NeoCov carries with it the combination of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS)-CoV mortality rate (where one in every three infected persons may die) and the current SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus high transmission rate.

''Animals, particularly wild animals, are the source of more than 75 per cent of all emerging infectious diseases in humans, many of which are caused by novel viruses. Coronaviruses are often found in animals, including in bats which have been identified as a natural reservoir of many of these viruses," the global body said.

The Chinese scientists said that they "unexpectedly found that NeoCoV and its close relative, PDF-2180-CoV, can efficiently use some types of bat Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and, less favourably, human ACE2 for entry".

Remember: NeoCoV is not new. It was first discovered in 2012 and 2015 in Middle Eastern countries. It has striking similarities to SARS-CoV-2 (the novel coronavirus) in humans.