HKU5-CoV-2, belongs to the merbecovirus subgenus, which includes the Mers virus. This newly isolated strain can bind to the ACE2 receptor in human cells, the same pathway used by the Covid-19 virus.

Researchers have discovered a virus that could enter human cells in a similar way to COVID-19. But they caution it's much more poorly adapted to humans.

Researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China said they discovered a new coronavirus in bats that enters cells using the same gateway as the virus that causes Covid-19.

The virus has a special feature, called a furin cleavage site, that helps it enter cells through the ACE2 receptor protein just like the Covid-19 virus.

A team of Chinese researchers has discovered a new bat coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, which has the potential to infect human cells. The virus, linked to the same family as MERS, was found to bind to human ACE2 receptors,

Chinese scientists have discovered a new coronavirus in bats called HKU5-CoV-2. It shares similarities with SARS-CoV-2 and can infect human cells. Researchers are investigating its potential to spill over to humans.