A coronavirus-like virus discovered in Russian bats can infect humans, and despite being from the same family as the coronavirus, it is completely resistant to existing vaccines, according to Science Alert. The new respiratory virus, found among bats and known as "Khosta 2," is covered in "spike" proteins and can infect human cells just like SARS-CoV-2.
The website reported that the most concerning aspect is the virus's clear resistance to monoclonal antibodies and serum induced in recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine, explaining that this new virus cannot be overcome by current drugs and vaccines. Even the antibodies developed from the Omicron variant were ineffective against the new bat virus.
Although both viruses belong to the same group of severe acute respiratory coronaviruses, known as sarbecoviruses, researchers emphasized that their findings highlight the urgent need to continue developing new vaccines with broader protection against the sarbecovirus, as stated by the site.
When researchers in Russia first discovered the "Khosta 1" and "Khosta 2" viruses in 2020, neither was particularly dangerous, and no links to COVID-19 were observed, as both viruses descended from a distinct strain lacking some genes believed essential for resisting the human immune system. However, upon closer examination, experts identified some concerning features in "Khosta 2."
Michael Letko, a virologist at Washington State University, noted that "genetically, these strange Russian viruses looked similar to some other viruses discovered elsewhere in the world, but since they did not resemble SARS-CoV-2, no one thought they were anything to get particularly excited about."
