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 virus has a special feature, called a furin cleavage site, that helps it enter cells through the ACE2 receptor protein just like the Covid-19 virus.

HKU5-CoV-2 is classified within the merbecovirus subgenus, which includes the MERS virus. Initially detected in the Japanese pipistrelle bat in Hong Kong, it has shown the ability to bind to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, akin to SARS-CoV-2.

Researchers dismissed the risk of HKU5 coronavirus spreading among human populations on a large scale, pointing out that its efficiency is lower than the Covid-19 virus

Researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology have discovered a new coronavirus in bats named HKU5-CoV-2, which closely resembles the Covid-19 strain

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.

Chinese researchers have discovered a new bat coronavirus that poses a potential risk of animal-to-human transmission. The virus uses the same cell-surface protein as SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19,

CoV-2, has raised concerns due to its ability to infect human cells, much like the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the virus was identified by a team of virologists led by Shi Zhengli,