(ORDO NEWS) — The new study has identified several related strains of the coronavirus. Both infections were found in frozen droppings of horseshoe bats.
One infection was obtained from a laboratory in Cambodia, and the second from Japan. The findings of scientists say that the strains found are the first found “relatives” of the coronavirus. After analyzing the infections, experts made it possible to state the fact that Covid-19, too, could well have originated in the body of a bat. True, it is still unknown whether SARS-CoV-2 can be directly transmitted from these animals to humans, or whether a mutation has occurred.
The first infection was in several bats, which were caught in 2010 in Cambodia. Experts have not yet fully sequenced it, so there is no need to talk about its significance for understanding the pandemic. According to scientists, very soon the found strain will help to find out the nature of the emergence of the main enemy of mankind – SARS-CoV-2. To do this, you need to set the similarity to at least 97%. If the differences stand out more than 3%, then scientists will simply trace the diversity of coronaviruses in the family.
The second virus has already received the code name Rc-o319 and has been studied in more detail by experts. So, its similarity is 81%. It follows from this that on the basis of this strain it will not be possible to study the mechanism of the pandemic. Found an infection in a small Japanese horseshoe mouse that was captured in 2013.
Despite the differences in the second virus and the poor understanding of the first, scientists believe they have made valuable discoveries. The spread of coronaviruses speaks volumes about their popularity, especially in Asia.
Experts cannot yet say whether a new strain of coronavirus should be expected in the future, which will lead to a repetition of these events. Scientists do not rule out this at all, but they do not want to prematurely frighten people without conducted research.
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