Researchers have discovered a virus in Russian bats that can cause complications for the human population, according to a report in Time magazine. The Khosta-2 virus, which belongs to the same subclass of coronaviruses as SARS-CoV-2, is already capable of infecting human cells and evading the immune defenses provided by the COVID-19 vaccination, the publication further said. He added that the discovery may raise new concerns for public health professionals. A study by researchers at the University of Washington’s Paul G Allen School of Global Health says spike proteins in Khosta-2 can penetrate human cells while being resistant to both monoclonal antibodies and serum from people who have received the SARS- CoV-2. The study was published in the journal PLOS Pathogens. Sarbecovirus, to which Khosta-2 and SARS-CoV-2 belong, is a subgroup of coronaviruses. Michael Letko, a WSU virologist and corresponding author of the study, told WSU News: “Our research further shows that sarvecoviruses circulating in wildlife outside of Asia — even in places like western Russia where the virus was found Khosta-2 – also pose a threat to global health and ongoing vaccine campaigns against SARS-CoV-2.” Mr. Letko also said that rather than simply protecting against known variants of SARS-CoV-2, the discovery of Khosta-2 underscores the need to create universal vaccinations to defend against sarbecoviruses in general. In recent years, hundreds of sarbecoviruses have been discovered, mostly in Asian bats, but most of them lack the ability to infect human cells. Initially, the same was thought of Khosta-2, but recent research has renewed concerns about the spread of the infection to humans. To investigate the two newly discovered viruses, Mr. Letko collaborated with two WSU faculty members: viral ecologist Stephanie Seifert, the first author, and viral immunologist Bonnie Gunn. They found that Khosta-1 caused minimal harm to humans, while Khosta-2 exhibited quite alarming characteristics.