It’s been over six years since COVID-19 upended everything, and researchers are raising a new warning: relatives of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are still out there, circulating in animals, potentially waiting for a chance to infect humans.This time, it’s not just a hunch. Scientists from around the world have discovered some new members in the coronavirus family, similar to SARS-CoV-2, and early tests show that some of these viruses can actually infect human cells.The paper, recently published by the research team in the journal Cell, is the first work of a new international research consortium, the Genotype to Phenotype Asia (G2P-Asia) Consortium1, in collaboration with Chulalongkorn University, formed as a continuation of the Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan) Consortium2, led by Kei Sato of the Division of Systems Virology at The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo.What does the research say?Let’s unpack.
Another coronavirus pandemic on the horizon?
Well, not exactly — but scientists aren’t brushing it off. These newly identified viruses are part of the sarbecovirus family, the same group that gave us both the original SARS outbreak in 2002 and COVID-19. Some of these viruses carry genetic features that raise eyebrows, especially their ability to grab onto the ACE2 receptors, the same ones SARS-CoV-2 used to sneak into human cells.The international team of researchers led by Japanese and Thai scientists discovered this new group of viruses sampled in acuminate horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus acuminatus) and compared their virological characteristics to those of SARS-CoV-2.“The new group of SARS-CoV-2-related viruses, referred to by the researchers as Clade B, is the second type of coronaviruses found in bats inhabiting the same artificial cave in Thailand’s Chachoengsao Province. The first group, Clade A3, was also found co-circulating with the newly discovered Clade B, even infecting the same individual bat. The difference between the two clades is that, unlike Clade A, Clade B viruses can engage the same human receptor that SARS-CoV-2 uses to infect humans, called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 – or ACE2 for short,” noted the university statement.So far, there’s no sign that any of these viruses is spreading among people. No outbreaks. No new pandemic. But that’s precisely why experts think the discovery matters: catching these viruses early, before they get a chance to spill over, helps us stay one step ahead.Most of these findings come from stepped-up wildlife monitoring and sampling after the COVID-19 fiasco. Scientists from across Asia and Africa have been gathering samples from bats and wild animals, trying to get a map of what kinds of coronaviruses are truly hiding in nature.This study focused on several SARS-CoV-2-like viruses found in bats. Researchers looked closely at the spike proteins, the bit that sticks out, letting the virus latch onto and invade cells. That spike, it turns out, is key: if it fits, the virus can potentially infect a new species.
Previous evidence
However, it’s noteworthy that it’s not exactly breaking news that bats are a hotbed for coronaviruses. What’s new and unsettling is the proof that some of these viruses can already attach to human ACE2 receptors, mostly in the lungs. Previous research in Laos (published in Nature) found some bat coronaviruses that are just a couple of amino acids away from being almost indistinguishable from SARS-CoV-2, and in lab experiments, they’ve shown they can infect human cells.Still, let’s keep this in perspective: just because a virus can infect cells in a Petri dish doesn’t mean it’s ready to jump between people on the street. That takes multiple mutations, the right conditions, and a bit of bad luck. But the main point here is that the animal world is teeming with viruses, some closer than ever to making the leap to humans.
What’s next?
This has reignited the debate around the origins of COVID-19 itself. While news cycles bounce between theories, scientists mostly agree the virus likely came from wildlife, mainly bats. As more of these close relatives turn up across Asia and beyond, the scale of the “coronavirus universe” gets clearer.The World Health Organization keeps stressing that global surveillance, especially in wildlife, is crucial. Just recently, researchers in the UK and Kenya found a bat coronavirus (CcCoV-KY43) that can bind to human lung receptors, proving some animal viruses are even more versatile than we thought.What does this all mean for the rest of us? Honestly, it’s not the time yet to panic. So far, these are lab discoveries, not real-world outbreaks. But it’s one more reminder that staying on top of animal viruses, investing in monitoring, and preparing vaccines and treatments is much smarter than scrambling for answers after a new pandemic hits.Virologists warn that coronaviruses are tricky: they mutate quickly, swap genetic material, and when multiple versions infect the same animal, they can mix and match into totally new, unpredictable threats.