Originally Posted by
angrysoba
More than a decade ago?
What do you think 13 in RaTG13 stands for? It is the year the sample was collected - 2013.
RaGT13 was not the focus of the first SARS in 2002-4, and wasn't published until early in the Covid-19 spread.
It's just from the same cave.
The one particular cave with horseshoe bats seems to have a very diverse and ever-changing assortment of SARS corona viruses that are close to ones that can spill over and infect humans- intermediary or not.
Several reports state that when tested, they can directly infect human cells. Other related viruses around China don't have that. (which doesnt mean those Yunnan cave strains could easily infect live humans...they still need a way in but serology says it has happened to the locals somehow).
I'm not sure why we do not include humans as intermediary hosts on the path- the path back to humans. We do know now we can pass it to cats, dogs, and cattle. Maybe more. Probably more. And then the process could reverse. There is a team of researchers looking into that now.
We need a virologist in here.
eta: found an "easy to read" link discussing bat-human similarities in Yunnan. (For 2002 SARS)
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-pers...s-virus-origin