The new so-called variety that is now being discussed has been named NeoCoV and was first discovered in a group of bats from South Africa, according to the media. NeoCoV has only been shown to spread among these species, according to current knowledge.
Picky reports of new viruses or mutations in the coronavirus family have been a constant fixture over the last couple of years, during which the world has been battling an unprecedented pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus first discovered in China and responsible for Covid-19, among other illnesses. There is now a discussion of a concept known as ‘NeoCoV.’
There have been a number of stories claiming that Chinese experts have issued a warning about a possible variation of the virus that was connected to the Middle East outbreaks in 2012 and 2015. This older virus is a member of the same viral family as SARS-CoV-2.
The new so-called variety that is now being discussed has been named NeoCoV and was first discovered in a group of bats from South Africa, according to the media. NeoCoV has only been shown to spread among these species, according to current knowledge.
While newly discovered Covid news, NeoCoV might spread via a manner similar to that utilized by Covid-19-causing SARS-CoV-2, with a greater transmission rate, according to the researchers who discovered the version last month. Some publications also claim that NeoCoV is not a “novel” strain and that it has been known for a long time.
WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT NeoCov IN THE FIRST PLACE?
There are currently no peer-reviewed studies available, hence all of the current reports are based on a preprint (i.e., a research work on which no comments have yet been received from other scientists) published on the bioRxiv website. A NeoCoV mutation linked to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), according to the research, might interact with the ACE2 receptor differently than the Covid-19 infection and emerge as a more severe disease than the present variations. In humans, ACE2 is a receptor that is located on their skin and is the major mechanism through which SAR-CoV-2 infects their body.
DO YOU NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT NeoCov ?
The allegations of this MERS-associated virus having a zoonotic impact and spreading from animals to people are unfounded, and you need not be concerned. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the last epidemic of MERS was recorded in 2015, and the number of cases of MERS has decreased internationally since that time, according to the WHO in 2019.
“Since 2016, 1465 cases of MERS-CoV have been documented, and it is possible that between 300 and 500 fatalities have been avoided as a result of increased worldwide efforts,” the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. According to the latest available data, the virus caused 186 cases and 38 fatalities in the Republic of Korea in 2015, resulting in an estimated economic impact of US$12 billion.
DO YOU HAVE A NEW COVID VARIANT CALLED NEOCOV?
NeoCoV is not a Covid variation, to be clear.
All that we know so far is that NeoCoV is most likely related to the MERS-CoV virus and has only been detected in bats, which is unusual for a virus. Infection with MERS is a respiratory virus that may cause serious sickness and has been deadly in around 35% of those who have been exposed to it so far.
MERS virus has shown limited ability to spread between people outside of hospitals, according to the World Health Organization, but it has repeatedly caused large-scale outbreaks in healthcare facilities with severe health, security, and economic consequences. The most recent outbreaks occurred in Saudi Arabia in 2014-2016 and the Republic of Korea in 2015 and were the result of a combination of factors. Since 2012, instances have been documented in 27 countries, resulting in 858 confirmed fatalities as a result of the virus and its associated consequences.
According to the most recent information available, there has been no evidence to suggest that a MERS-CoV-linked virus has spread among people. There have been no human infections with NeoCoV and no fatalities as a result of NeoCoV infection anywhere in the world. The World Health Organization, which is in charge of identifying and notifying mutations and new viral outbreaks, has not responded to these concerns regarding NeoCoV.
