New coronavirus only ‘one small step from spilling over into humans’ and sparking widespread outbreak, say scientists

A NEW coronavirus may only be “a small step away from spilling over into humans”, scientists have warned – sparking fears of another pandemic.

Scientists believe the variant, called HKU5-CoV-2, may infect a broader range of animals than Covid-19 and may have more potential for jumping between species.

Ted S. Warren/College of Veterinary Medicine/WSUDr Michael Letko, a molecular virologist at WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, lead the research into the concerning variant[/caption]...