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As the world continues to grapple with the recent surge in coronavirus cases thanks to the Omicron variant, the threat of new variants emerging looms large. Scientists from Wuhan, China where the virus was first detected have now warned of a new COVID-19 strain which is being called “NeoCov”. NeoCov was found in South Africa as per multiple reports and it is believed to be a more deadly variant of the virus.
NeoCov is not new. As per reports on Sputnik (via IndiaTody), a Russian news agency, NeoCov is linked to MERS-CoV, a respiratory disease that caused an outbreak in years 2012 and 2015 in certain Middle Eastern countries. The strain is found in a bat population in South Africa and only has a record of spreading among animals until now. This information was published on bioRxiv.org and it’s important to note that the paper has not been peer-reviewed. The report also warned that the mortality rate of NeoCov is high and “one in three people” could die on average.
Researchers from Wuhan University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Biophysics, the virus is one mutation away from infecting humans. They also believe that NeoCov poses the risk of high infections and death rates.
As per reports on Russian news portal TASS, “Experts from the Vector research center are aware of the data that Chinese researchers obtained regarding the NeoCov coronavirus. At this time, it’s not about the emergence of a new coronavirus capable of actively spreading among humans,”
While NeoCov is under examination, it hasn’t been officially declared as a variant of concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO, however, is aware of NeoCov and said“Whether the virus detected in the study will pose a risk for humans will require further study,” as per TASS
There are currently no cases of the virus strain and enough evidence is not available to assess the risk.
SEE ALSO: WHO Warns That The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Far From Over Amidst Omicron Surge
Cover image for representation purposes only.
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