Researchers at the Chinese lab accused of leaking the COVID-19 virus have now discovered a new coronavirus in bats that closely matches the one that led to the deadly worldwide outbreak in 2020, according to a study.

The lab finding does raise the possibility that this new bat virus could spread from animals to humans, researchers said in a paper published in the journal Cell

The new virus called HKU5-CoV-2 was found by a team of virologists led by Shi Zhengli, a scientist known as “Batwoman” for her work in coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute, The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports.

Chinese researchers have discovered a Covid-like virus in bats that could spread to humans. Researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China say the new virus enters cells using the same gateway as the virus that causes Covid-19.

A research team led by "bat lady" Shi Zhengli found a new bat strain of coronavirus, which could pose a potential threat on humans. Read on to know whether it could lead to another pandemic.