New Virus in China is Triggering Alarms

A new virus detected in China has caught the eyes of many experts who are now panicking.

A woman getting tested for COVID-19 in China.

After numerous tests on Chinese bats, a new strain of coronavirus has been detected - HKU5-CoV-2 - which now adds another strain to the list of coronaviruses, like MERS and the commonly known SARS-CoV-2.

However, experts fear that one specific trait about this virus could symbolize something far more dangerous: a specific receptor called ACE2, a crucial component of the virus which gives it greater transmissibility to organisms like humans. Even worse, known contagious pathogens like the previously mentioned MERS and COVID-19, as well as several common colds, have this exact component, meaning that this virus could be just as transmissible.

Published in the scientific newspaper Cell, the data was released by the Wuhan Institute of Virology, tested on similar groups of bats to those which may have caused the first COVID-19 outbreak.

However, it is uncertain if this virus has the ability to transmit to humans or even reached our immune systems yet. With this finding being so recent, we are going to have to wait several more days for more evidence related to the spread of the pathogen within humans; most virology tests take days to weeks to identify a specific pathogen.

If this virus reaches humans, it could spread very rapidly if left uncontained. Many areas in central China like Wuhan and Chongqing are densely populated, meaning that people are very close together. Combined with the fact that COVID-era lockdowns and mask mandates are now over, a perfect storm could brew for this new viral strain.

The good news is that our current knowledge of the COVID-19 virus, a very similar virus, could help; in fact, the two viral species don't have very much uncommon with each other.

Crucially, if a virus like this was to advance at a time of economic volatility like 2025, it could exacerbate existing dilemmas of poverty, unemployment, and even the wealth gap. With China still being a major player in the global economy including the U.S., huge sectors of the labor force are at risk. Inflation could come down though as lockdowns cause lower demand for products, starting in mainland China.