As cases of a new form of coronavirus, NeoCov, emerge in the country doctors advise people to not panic. The new variant of the virus that was discovered in South Africa amongst bats can possibly enter human cells, claims a Chinese research paper that is yet to be peer-reviewed.
According to Russian agency TASS, scientists in China discovered that the NeoCov coronavirus that was found in bats in South Africa is a relative of the MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus) fever that has symptoms and effects nearly the same as SARS-CoV-2.
"India as of now hasn't seen this new variant (NeoCov). We're careful as the virus is continuously changing, new variants, mutants are emerging; taking precautions to be more vigilant about such cases" said Dr. S Kumar, MD, LNJP ( Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan) Hospital, Delhi.
Dr Dhiren Gupta from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi stated that the variant's transmission to humans is still a "scientific speculation" and "hypothesis". He added that the theory that "one out of three may die is just an hypothesis, which social media made headlines".
Currently, there is no direct evidence that NeoCov affects the human body. World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the question of whether the NeoCov coronavirus poses a threat to humans, requires further study.
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