The virus belongs to the merbecovirus subgenus, which includes the MERS-CoV virus responsible for Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). MERS, first detected in 2012, spreads from camels to humans and has a high fatality rate.

A Chinese team discovered a new bat coronavirus that poses a risk of animal-to-human transmission as it uses the same human receptor as the COVID-19 virus, a Hong Kong daily reported on Thursday, citing the latest study.

A new study led by Shi Zhengli, the Chinese scientist at the centre of research that’s suspected to have caused the Covid-19 pandemic, has found a new bat coronavirus that has a ‘high’ risk of spillov

The study found that HKU5-CoV-2 contains a furin cleavage site, a feature that enhances viral entry into cells via the ACE2 receptor. In laboratory experiments, the virus was able to infect human cells with high ACE2 levels, including models of human intestines and airways.

Pfizer and Moderna stocks bucked the trend and soared after the news of a potential "deadlier version of Covid."

A media report underscores that the virus, found by a Chinese team of virologists, uses the same human receptor as the virus that causes Covid-19.

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.

Researchers have discovered a new coronavirus in Chinese bats. HKU5-CoV-2 is a coronavirus belonging to the merbecovirusgroup, which also includes the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) virus. RELATED: Another US agency assesses COVID-19 origin likely a Chinese 'lab leak': report