It’s been more than nine months since the coronavirus outbreak, but scientists are still trying to figure out how it spread from animals to humans.
Now a research team seems to have found the answer.
In a study published in the journal Nature Microbiology, a team of scientists from the United States, China and Europe compared the mutations in SARS CoV2, which caused code 19, with other viruses, and then compiled the evolutionary history of related viruses.
They discovered that the virus that caused the epidemic of code 19 was found in bats.
The researchers said that our analysis collectively referred to bats as the primary source of the virus, suggesting that pangolins or other animals may have transmitted it to humans in the form of a temporary host. The virus was found to have evolved into bats, which can replicate in the upper respiratory tract of humans and pangolins.
In fact, the research team said that the Novel Corona virus evolved 40 to 70 years ago along with other viruses found in this bird.
He said the virus had been present in bats for decades but was not known before.
He added that the SARS-2 virus is 96 percent identical to the RATG-13 corona virus, whose samples were obtained in 2013 from the Horse Show breed of bats in the Chinese province of Yunnan, but not in 1969. Was separated from these viruses.
According to the researchers, one of the characteristics of the Novel Corona virus is similar to the older types of viruses, which are spike proteins that bind to receptors, by which they control human receptors.
Research has shown that traits that target the human S2 receptor are inherited from viruses found in bats.
According to researchers, this means that other viruses capable of infecting humans are circulating in these Chinese bats.
Experts say other researchers are wrong to believe that the pangolins went into the Novel Corona virus and made changes to it that could have been transmitted to humans.
“Although it is possible that the pangolin may have acted as a temporary host and transmitted it to humans, there is no evidence that the pangolin disease is necessary for the transmission of bat viruses to humans,” he said. Our research shows that this novel virus has the ability to replicate in the upper respiratory tract of both humans and pangolins.
He stressed that better bat specimens are essential for identifying infectious germs and preventing future infectious diseases.
“Real-time monitoring of human diseases and successful surveillance is the key to preventing epidemics. It is important to know which viruses need to be monitored and how they can make humans sick,” he said. This will allow us to better prepare for another SARS virus.