PUBLISHED: 24 Feb 2025 at 04: 30
No human infections have been reported as of yet, despite the Ministry of Public Health’s announcement yesterday that a novel coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, was discovered by a lab in China.
The disease discovered by a group of Chinese scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology is a variation within the Merbecovirus subgenus, according to Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong, permanent director of the Ministry of Public Health.
It is not regarded as a new burden or mutated disease. Instead, it is a virus in the coronavirus family, which has many subspecies”, he said, adding that the research team found that HKU5-CoV-2 can enter human cells using the same gateway as the earlier SARS-CoV-2 ( Covid-19 ), prompting fears of another pandemic.
” Yet, there is now no outbreak or demographic data related to the HKU5-CoV-2 burden in people. So, the government does not need to care at this time”, he said.
Dr. Opas stated that Thailand is a key member of a robust global disease surveillance and control system that works to identify and track the development of virus strains that cause human disease. It has been quick to take action in this regard.
Now, the primary stress among Covid-19 people in Thailand remains Omicron JN. 1.
” Although the HKU5-CoV-2 strain does not yet appear to have spread, the recommended preventive measures are no different from other strains of viruses that cause respiratory diseases, such as influenza, Covid-19 or respiratory syncytial virus ( RSV)”, he said
Dr. Opas advises people to avoid crowded locations, wear a face if they have breathing symptoms, and usually wash their hands with soap.
He claimed that the dangers that coronaviruses have are being used to find new infections in owls, such as those found in China, Japan, and the United States, are due to their propensity to change.
Should there be a need to produce a vaccination once a new version is discovered, its properties are being studied. The risk of direct contamination from bat to people is also mild because bat typically have a small amount of virus that cannot be passed on, he said.
” Infection among people usually requires an auxiliary animal,” he said,” and the chances of folks coming into contact with bats is very small.”