Sars-CoV-2-like virus discovered and resistant to vaccines

A virus similar to Sars-CoV2 has been

discovered

, potentially capable of infecting humans and resistant to the anti-Covid vaccines currently available.

This is reported in the journal Plos Pathogens by experts from Washington State University's Paul G. Allen School for Global Health. 

The team found that the

's Spike protein ,

, can infect human cells and is

to both

and

.

Both Khosta-2 and Sars-CoV2 belong to the same subcategory of coronavirus known as sarbecovirus, the experts point out.

"Our research further demonstrates that sarbecoviruses circulating in wildlife outside Asia - even in places like western Russia, where the Khosta-2 virus was found - pose a threat to global health and to the countryside. vaccinations underway against Sars-CoV-2, "said Michael Letko, virologist and author of the study. 

The discovery of Khosta-2 highlights the need to

to protect against sarbecoviruses in general, rather than just known variants of SARS-CoV-2.

"Right now there are groups that are trying to find a vaccine that not only protects against the next variant of SARS-2, but protects us from all sarbecoviruses," Letko explains.

"Unfortunately, many of our current vaccines are designed for specific viruses that we know infect human cells or for those that appear to pose the greatest risk of infecting us. But this is an ever-changing list. We need to expand the design of these vaccines to protect from all sarbecoviruses ".