Omicron may have spread rapidly, but remained less lethal than delta variant of COVID-19. But now a more lethal variant of the virus ‘NeoCov’ has been detected. Scientists from China’s Wuhan Lab have reportedly warned that the death rate and infection rate of NeoCov is much higher. According to a report by Russian news agency Sputnik, the NeoCov virus is linked to the MERS-CoV virus that was discovered in the Middle-Eastern countries in 2012-15.
Similar to NeoCov MERS Fever
According to the Russian agency TASS, scientists in China found that the NeoCov version of the coronavirus found in bats in South Africa is a relative of MERS fever with symptoms and effects similar to SARS CoV-2. The report also said that Chinese researchers have found that the NeoCoV virus has a very high mortality rate – ‘one out of every three infected individuals will die’. As per reports no antibodies will work against this virus which will have high transmissibility.
Silver lining
It is a matter of relief that the new corona virus has not yet spread to humans. The Russian State Virology and Biotechnology Research Center said in a statement, ‘The Vector Research Center is aware of the data obtained by Chinese researchers on the NeoCoV coronavirus. In South Africa, this NeoCov virus has been seen inside bats and it has only been seen in animals so far.