A novel bat virus with the potential to infect people has been found in Thailand by a controversial research outfit previously tied to operations in Wuhan. The virus has not yet been given a name.
At a World Health Organization meeting, Dr. Peter Daszak, the director of the non-profit EcoHealth Alliance in New York, announced the finding of the novel virus.
The novel virus, which has not yet been given a name, was discovered in a cave in Thailand where farmers use bat excrement as a fertilizer for their crops.
Dr. Peter Daszak made the following statement during the WHO event: “We found a lot of SARS-related coronaviruses, but one in particular we found was quite common in bats where people were commonly exposed.”
“We view this as a potential zoonotic pathogen,” he continued. We currently have a bat virus in a cave frequented by individuals who are highly exposed to bat excrement. Furthermore, there is a genuine chance for emergence because this virus is spread via bat feces.”
The scientist, who was born in Britain, is notable for having consistently rejected the lab leak idea and maintained that the coronavirus has natural origins.
This data is released as the World Health Organization reports a global coronavirus outbreak, with hospitalizations rising 42% in 50 nations.
Interestingly, the JN.1 Covid variation, which first surfaced in France in September, is causing the cases to start rising once more. According to a data tracker from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the variation is responsible for almost 60% of new infections in early January, according to the BBC.
Despite JN.1’s fast spreading nature, the World Health Organization has designated it as a distinct “variant of interest” and stated that the risk to global public health is “low”. As a member of the parent lineage BA.2.86 sub-lineages, which is designated as a variant of interest (VOI), the JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus was previously categorized as a VOI, according to the international body.
WHO has noted, however, that there is little risk to the public’s health worldwide from JN.1.
