In Russian bats, researchers have found a novel SARS-CoV-2-like virus. The recently found virus is thought to be capable of infecting human bodies and resistant to every coronavirus vaccine now in use. A group of scientists discovered that the Khosta-2 proteins, which are produced by the bat virus, may enter human cells.
Following this, scientists called for universal vaccines that should be developed against the viruses found in the fauna.
A virologist from Washington was quoted by Mirror UK as saying, ‘Our research further demonstrates the sarbecoviruses circulating in wildlife outside of Asia, even in places like western Russia where the Khosta-2 virus was found, also pose a threat to global health and ongoing vaccine campaigns against SARS-CoV-2.’
The virus researcher continued, ‘Genetically, these strange Russian viruses looked like some of the others that had been discovered elsewhere in the world, but because they did not look like SARS-CoV-2, no one really believed they were anything to get excited about.’
2020 saw the discovery of the Khosta-1 and Khosta-2 viruses in Russian bats. However, preliminary analysis indicated that they posed little danger to human beings. Later experiments revealed that the serums and effects of the existing Covid vaccinations could not neutralise Khosta-2.
A team at Washington State University’s Paul G Allen School found that the Khosta-2 can spike protein to infect human cells while being immune to monoclonal antibodies and existing vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Also, antibodies in a person, who was infected with the Omicron strain, could not neutralise the virus.
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