Scientists Discover New Coronavirus With Potential to Infect Humans: What to Know

New research out this month showcases the ever-present danger posed by coronaviruses, the family of viruses that gave rise to the covid-19 pandemic. Scientists in China have reportedly found a new coronavirus in bats that may be capable of spilling over and infecting humans. Researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology led the study, published last week in the journal Cell. In lab experiments, the virus appeared to possess a key adaptation that allows it to infect a broad range of mammals, humans included. Other factors are present that make the virus less suited to humans for now, but the scientists say their discovery highlights the importance of studying these sorts of potential threats. Coronaviruses are a broad group of viruses that infect mammals and birds, seven of which are known to infect humans. Four of these viruses usually cause a mild cold; one caused a major but short-lived epidemic in the early 2000s (the original SARS virus); another causes MERS, a dangerous but lim ... Read full article.