Guest reader Posted February 24 Posted February 24 From Bangkok Post The Ministry of Public Health yesterday confirmed the discovery of a new coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, by a laboratory in China but said no human infections have been recorded as yet. Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, said yesterday the virus found by a team of Chinese researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology is a variant within the Merbecovirus subgenus. "It is not considered a new strain or mutant virus. Instead, it is a virus in the coronavirus family, which has many subspecies," he said, adding that the research team found that HKU5-CoV-2 can enter human cells using the same gateway as the earlier SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19), prompting fears of another pandemic. "However, there is currently no outbreak or epidemiological data related to the HKU5-CoV-2 strain in humans. Therefore, the public does not need to worry at this time," he said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2966640/no-need-to-worry-about-new-coronavirus Quote
