New Delhi: Even as a new kind of Coronavirus, NeoCov, has already created a fear psychosis across the globe, Indian scientists on Saturday allayed such fears stating that there is no imminent threat for India from the bat originated virus. Confirming the same, Vinod Scaria, a scientist at the Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology (IGIB) told ETV Bharat that "There is no imminent threat for India due to NeoCov,"
IGIB is India's premier institute engaged in the research area of genomics, molecular medicine, and bioinformatics. Asserting that NeoCov is not a new variant, Scaria said that it's a bat Coronavirus and does not infect humans. "Spillover events are rare from animals," said Scaria.
NeoCov was first identified in a species of bats known as Neoromicia. The genome of NeoCov is similar (85 percent) to MERS-CoV.
"Genome sequencing and surveillance of human and animals viruses is, therefore, the key to understanding the spectrum of viruses, and possibly provide early warning to potential spillover events," said Scaria.
NeoCov, at present, spreading among animals.
Stating that spillover events of NeoCov are rare from animals, Scaria said that NeoCov can not inherently bind to human ACE receptors "but artificial mutations can enhance bindings."
However, according to researchers from Wuhan University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Biophysics, only one mutation is required for the virus to infiltrate human cells. The researchers said that the virus carries the potential combination of MERS-high CoV's mortality rate (one in every three infected person).
The World Health Organization (WHO), however, said that NeoCov needs further study. The WHO has said that Coronavirus is often found in animals, including in bats which have been identified as a natural reservoir of many of these viruses.
When contacted, Dr. Tamorish Kole echoed the same view and said that genomic surveillance needs to be much closer. "There is no need to panic because there is no spillover at present from this virus. Our genomic sequencing needs to be very cautious so that if any new variant of the virus comes, we can handle it cautiously," said Dr. Kole.
