The newly discovered bat coronavirus belongs to a new lineage of the HKU5 coronavirus, which was first identified in the Japanese pipistrelle bat in Hong Kong.

Researchers have discovered a new coronavirus in Chinese bats. HKU5-CoV-2 is a coronavirus belonging to the merbecovirusgroup, which also includes the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) virus. RELATED: Another US agency assesses COVID-19 origin likely a Chinese 'lab leak': report

The new virus also has other similarities to SARS CoV-2 – the virus that causes Covid-19 – as it too can infiltrate human cells by connecting to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) receptor.

Newly discovered bat coronavirus shares entry protein with COVID-19, but poses lower risk of human transmission, researchers find.

A Chinese team discovered a new bat coronavirus that poses a risk of animal-to-human transmission as it uses the same human receptor as the COVID-19 virus, a Hong Kong daily reported on Thursday, citing the latest study.

A Chinese team discovered a new bat coronavirus that poses a risk of animal-to-human transmission as it uses the same human receptor as the COVID-19 virus, a Hong Kong daily reported on Thursday, citing the latest study.

Researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology have detected a new coronavirus in bats that is capable of entering human cells using the exact same mechanism as SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

CoV-2, has raised concerns due to its ability to infect human cells, much like the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the virus was identified by a team of virologists led by Shi Zhengli,

A research team led by "bat lady" Shi Zhengli found a new bat strain of coronavirus, which could pose a potential threat on humans. Read on to know whether it could lead to another pandemic.