Chinese Researchers Discover New Virus

Chinese researchers have discovered a new virus, hinting on another pandemic coming soon amid Coronavirus (COVID-19). According to reports, a group of infectious diseases researchers have discovered a new strain of viruses amongst pigs in China, where Coronavirus started from and fear that it might mutate to readily transmit between humans. Robert Gordon Webster, a retired influenza investigator from St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital disclosed that pandemic strains of flu arise from genes in flu virus strains in nonhuman, called it a “guessing game” as to the strain’s capabilities of potentially being able to transmit to humans. He said it’s too difficult to determine if a pandemic could occur until one actually hits. Recall that the last swine flu outbreak which occurred in 2009 in Mexico, was far less deadly than initially assumed. This was as a result of many older people being immune to it, probably because of its similarity to other flu viruses that had circulated years before. Also, Kin-Chow Chang, a professor who works at Nottingham University in the UK, said “While this new virus is not an immediate problem. We should not ignore it.” The virus is to be a unique blend of three lineages: one similar to strains found in European and Asian birds, the H1N1 strain that caused the 2009 pandemic, and a North American H1N1 that has genes from avian, human, and pig influenza viruses. Reports have it that scientists and researchers are actively monitoring this virus in hopes of preventing it from becoming the next pandemic. Meanwhile, the world is still battling with Coronavirus pandemic, with over 10 million cases globally while Nigeria’s total confirmed cases of coronavirus have risen to twenty-five thousand, one hundred and thirty-three(25,133) with nine thousand, four hundred and two (9,402) people discharged and five hundred and seventy-three (573) deaths recorded so far