Experts say further research is needed to determine whether the newly discovered bat coronavirus in China has the potential to cause a pandemic. Meanwhile, the South Korean government is accelerating the development of mRNA vaccines to prepare for any possible outbreak of an emerging infectious disease.
On Monday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) stated, “Experiments on the newly discovered bat coronavirus are currently at the cellular level, a step below animal testing. At this stage, assessing its infectiousness or fatality rate in humans is difficult.”
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on Friday, Chinese researchers recently identified a new coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, in bats.
The research team noted that this virus shares the same cell surface proteins as SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. This suggests a potential for human transmission through similar receptors.
HKU5-CoV-2 belongs to the Merbecovirus subgenus of coronaviruses, which includes the virus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
While researchers suggest this new virus may have a broader host range and higher cross-species infection potential, they emphasize that further investigation is needed to determine its ability to spread to humans.
The study was published in CELL, a prestigious journal in the life sciences field, indicating the reliability of its experimental data. However, some voices caution that raising concerns about human infection is too early.
Yeo Sang Gu, head of the Emerging Infectious Disease Response Division at KDCA, stated, “While the reliability of the data has been verified since the experiment is currently at the cellular level, it is difficult to predict what would happen if humans were actually infected.”
“There have been cases where viruses that showed high fatality rates in animal experiments had no impact on humans. It seems that the fact this research was conducted in Wuhan, which gained notoriety during the COVID-19 pandemic, has heightened concerns,” Yeo added.
The study was led by Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli, known as “Batwoman,” at the Guangzhou Laboratory. Researchers at the Guangzhou Institute of Science, Wuhan University, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology participated. Shi Zhengli is a central figure in the lab leak theory regarding the origins of COVID-19.
Coronaviruses are classified into four main types: Embecovirus, Sarbecovirus, Merbecovirus, and Nobecovirus. COVID-19 and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) belong to the Sarbecovirus group, whereas the newly discovered bat coronavirus falls under the Merbecovirus category.
In a list published in 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) included two types of coronaviruses—sarbecovirus and Merbecovirus—among the 30 most dangerous viruses and bacteria.
To prepare for emerging infectious diseases, the South Korean government plans to invest approximately KRW 530 billion ($371 million) by 2028 to develop a domestically produced mRNA vaccine. This year alone, about KRW 25.4 billion ($17 million) will be allocated to securing an mRNA vaccine platform, enabling vaccine development within 100 to 200 days of an outbreak.
Unlike traditional vaccines, which introduce pathogens into the body, mRNA vaccines deliver antibodies created from viral genetic information. They offer improved safety, accuracy, and speed. Developing an mRNA vaccine platform could accelerate the identification and utilization of genetic information, potentially expediting the development of other treatments.
Yeo said, “Developing mRNA vaccine platforms is a global trend. Although the funding is insufficient, we secured a budget for mRNA vaccine development last year. We will continue our efforts to establish an mRNA vaccine platform to prepare for rapidly mutating novel viruses.”
