Khosta-2 could not only replicate in humans, but could also bypass the immune protection provided by current COVID-19 vaccines, according to a study.
The fall season has come to an end and with it the fear of facing Covid-19 again. And if the increase in cases during this back-to-school period worries scientists, there is also talk of another virus, Khosta-2. From the same family as Sars-Cov-2 and discovered in bats in Russia, it raises anxiety about a new epidemic, according to a new study published this week.
According to experts, this coronavirus would not only be capable of replicating in humans, but could also elude the immunological protection provided by current vaccines against Covid-19. To reach this conclusion, the authors of the study verified, through tests, if the anti-Covid serum managed to neutralize Khosta-2. Unfortunately not.
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“It’s worrying”
“It is concerning that there are viruses circulating in nature that can bind to human receptors and are not neutralized by current vaccine responses.” admitted Michael Letko, a professor at Washington State University and whose statements were reported by the Weather and transmitted by TF1.
Despite everything, scientists want to be reassuring. Khosta-2 does not appear to cause severe forms in humans. However, vigilance is still required. A disease can progress over time. It can mutate, like Covid, and have much more serious consequences for the body. “When related coronaviruses enter the same animal and the same cells, they can recombine and produce a new virus”Michael Letko added. Therefore, researchers advocate the development of vaccines against this type of virus.
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