China's 'Batwoman' Warns Of Possible Emergence Of New 'Highly Risky' Coronavirus Variant In Future

Renowned Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli, known as "Batwoman" for her work on animal-origin viruses, in one of her recently published papers, has cautioned about the potential emergence of a new coronavirus in the future.

Emphasising the need for global preparedness based on lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, Shi has stressed global preparedness to fight such outbreaks in the future.

Zhengil who directs the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, has been researching coronaviruses for over two decades.

Shi and her Wuhan Institute of Virology colleagues published a July 2023 paper evaluating the human spillover risk of 40 coronavirus species, with half of them rated as "highly risky." Six of these species are known to have caused diseases in humans, while three have evidence of causing disease or infecting other animals. The study warns of the likelihood of future coronavirus disease emergence, reported South China Morning Post (SCMP).

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This research, based on viral traits analysis such as population, genetic diversity, host species along host identification, highlights the importance of monitoring high-risk viruses. The scientists also pinpointed significant hosts for the pathogen, encompassing natural carriers like bats and rodents, as well as potential intermediary hosts such as camels, civets, pigs, and pangolins. Additionally, they devised rapid and highly responsive testing instruments for proactive monitoring of these high-risk viruses.

The report has gained significant attention due to its timing coinciding with the US federal agency's decision to bar Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) from funding for a decade. Some US officials have accused WIV of conducting risky 'gain-of-function' experiments on bat coronaviruses and suggested that the Covid-19 pandemic leaked out of a Chinese lab. However, US intelligence documents from June said that there was no conclusive evidence supporting the lab leak hypothesis.

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Despite speculations about the pandemic's origin, there is no conclusive evidence supporting the lab leak hypothesis, as stated in US intelligence documents from June. Shi's warning comes amid ongoing efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed over 4.5 million lives worldwide and infected more than 230 million people.