Khosta-2 , New Covid-like virus found in Russian bats

• Just as we were heaving a sigh of relief with the World Health Organisation (WHO) Chief’s statement that the COVID pandemic end is in sight, a new COVID-like virus has been found. Known as Khosta 2, this virus is able to resist the current COVID vaccine. A research article published in the journal PLoS pathogens has made startling revelations about the virus.
• Scientists have discovered a new SARS-CoV-2-like virus in Russian bats. The newly discovered virus is believed to be competent at infecting human bodies and resistant to all the existing coronavirus vaccines. A team of researchers found that the proteins from the bat virus, identified as Khosta-2, can penetrate into the cells of humans.

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Call for Global Vaccine:

• Following this, scientists called for universal vaccines that should be developed against the viruses found in the fauna. “Our research further demonstrates the sarbecoviruses circulating in wildlife outside of Asia, even in places like western Russia where the Khosta-2 virus was found, Also pose a threat to global health and ongoing vaccine campaigns against SARS-CoV-2,” Mirror UK quoted a virologist from Washington as saying.
• “Genetically, these weird Russian viruses looked like some of the others that had been discovered elsewhere around the world, But because they did not look like SARS-CoV-2, no one thought they were really anything to get excited about,” the virus expert added.

When Khosta viruses were discovered:

• The Khosta-1 and Khosta-2 viruses were discovered in Russian bats in 2020. Khosta-1 was found in Rhinolophus ferrumequinum and Khosta 2 in R. hipposideros bats.
• The virus was identified by Alkhovsky and colleagues in bat samples collected between March-October 2020 near Sochi National Park. It was during this time, the entire world was preparing itself to fight against novel coronavirus which causes the COVID.
• However, initial examination suggested that they were not a threat to human bodies. Later, tests showed Khosta-2 could not be neutralised by the serums and effects of current Covid vaccines.
• A team at Washington State University’s Paul G Allen School found that the Khosta-2 can spike protein to infect human cells while being immune to monoclonal antibodies and existing vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Also, antibodies in a person, who was infected with the Omicron strain, could not neutralise the virus.

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What are the Challenges:

• Unlike the COVID causing coronavirus, the Khosta 2 virus lacks the ability to cause serious disease in humans. However, it could infect and cause serious diseases in human beings if it gets mixed with genes of COVID causing coronavirus. In that case, its transmission rate will also be another headache for health watchers.