NeoCov coronavirus found in bats may pose threat to humans in future, Chinese scientists caution
Beijing, Jan 28: A type of coronavirus, NeoCov, that spreads among bats in South Africa may pose a threat to humans in future if it mutates further, according to a study by Chinese researchers.
The yet-to-be peer-reviewed study recently posted on the preprint repository BioRxiv, shows that NeoCov is closely related to the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), a viral disease first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause diseases ranging from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Researchers from Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wuhan University noted that NeoCov is found in a population of bats in South Africa and to date spreads exclusively among these animals.
In its current form, NeoCov does not infect humans but further mutations may make it potentially harmful, the researchers noted.
"In this study, we unexpectedly found that NeoCoV and its close relative, PDF-2180-CoV, can efficiently use some types of bat Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and, less favourably, human ACE2 for entry," the authors of the study noted.
ACE2 is a receptor protein on cells that provides the entry point for the coronavirus to hook into and infect a wide range of cells.
"Our study demonstrates the first case of ACE2 usage in MERS-related viruses, shedding light on a potential bio-safety threat of the human emergence of an ACE2 using "MERS-CoV-2" with both high fatality and transmission rate," they said.
The researchers further noted that infection with NeoCov could not be cross-neutralised by antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 or MERS-CoV.
"Considering the extensive mutations in the RBD regions of the SARS-CoV-2 variants, especially the heavily mutated Omicron variant, these viruses may hold a latent potential to infect humans through further adaptation," the authors of the study added.
A receptor-binding domain (RBD) is a key part of a virus that allows it to dock to body receptors to gain entry into cells and lead to infection.
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Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia returns to country after treatment in UK
Dhaka (PTI): Bangladesh's ailing former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on Tuesday returned to the country from London after four months of medical treatment, according to media reports.
Zia went to London on January 8 for advanced medical care and was admitted to The London Clinic. After being discharged from the clinic, the BNP chairperson moved to her eldest son Tarique Rahman’s residence, where she has been receiving treatment.
A Qatari royal air ambulance carrying Khaleda and her entourage landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:42 am, BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune.
Her two daughters-in-law – Tarique Rahman’s wife Zubaida Rahman and the late Arafat Rahman Coco’s wife Syeda Sharmila Rahman – are accompanying her.
The plane had departed from London’s Heathrow Airport at 4:20 pm local time. Tarique had driven his mother to the airport and seen her off, according to Khaleda’s private physician, Prof AZM Zahid Hossain.
The 79-year-old three-time prime minister has long suffered from liver cirrhosis, kidney disease, heart problems, diabetes, and arthritis.
Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, along with several senior party leaders, arrived at the airport around 8:30am to receive Khaleda.
Talking to reporters at the airport, Fakhrul expressed the hope that the return of party chairperson Khaleda Zia would facilitate the restoration and advancement of democracy in the country.
“She went abroad for treatment after years of suffering under fascist oppression. With the fall of fascism, she was finally able to receive proper medical care. After nearly four months of treatment, she is returning home today. It's a matter of great joy for us and the people,” the BNP leader was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune.
Preparations have been completed at Khaleda’s Gulshan residence, Feroza, bdnews24 reported.
Security has been tightened around the walled compound, with police and members of the Chairperson’s Security Force (CSF) stationed at the premises.
Supporters have been instructed to stay on the pavements, carrying national and BNP flags, and avoid blocking roads. A large number of police, army, Rapid Action Battalion, Armed Police battalion and Ansar members have been deployed on the roads and near the airport area, the report said.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) also issued a notice on Monday, warning of potential traffic congestion in the Gulshan-Banani area due to excessive crowds gathering to welcome Khaleda.
In March, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court upheld a High Court ruling that acquitted Zia in a corruption case in which she was sentenced to seven years in jail by a lower court.
Zia was convicted in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case in 2018 by a Dhaka court. The court sentenced her to seven years imprisonment and fined her Taka 1 million.
Zia now stands acquitted in both the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust cases, in which she had previously been convicted and sentenced, Maksud Ullah, a lawyer for the BNP chairperson, was quoted as saying by The Daily Star newspaper.
The BNP chairperson was lodged in the Old Dhaka Central Jail on February 8, 2018, after the Dhaka court sentenced her in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government temporarily released Zia from jail after 776 days through an executive order, suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with conditions that she would stay in her house and not leave the country.
On August 6 last year, after the ouster of the Hasina regime, Zia was freed by an order of President Mohammed Shahabuddin.
Zia served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006.
