Researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology have detected a new coronavirus in bats that is capable of entering human cells using the exact same mechanism as SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Researchers have discovered a virus that could enter human cells in a similar way to COVID-19. But they caution it's much more poorly adapted to humans.

The study found that HKU5-CoV-2 contains a furin cleavage site, a feature that enhances viral entry into cells via the ACE2 receptor. In laboratory experiments, the virus was able to infect human cells with high ACE2 levels, including models of human intestines and airways.

Experts note that HKU5-CoV-2 has a lower binding affinity to human ACE2 than SARS-CoV-2, and its ability to infect humans on a large scale remains uncertain. More research is needed to determine if it poses a serious health threat.

The extensive research on coronavirus led to the discovery of HKU5-CoV-2, which can be transmitted to humans since it has the same human receptor. The virus was discovered by a team of virologists led by Shi Zhengil, Wuhan Institute of Virology, referred to as 'Batwoman'.

Researchers at Wuhan lab discovered a new bat coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, which shares entry pathways with SARS-CoV-2 but poses limited risk to humans.