A new virus that scientists have discovered is strikingly similar to COVID-19, which has scientists worried that a single “small step” might trigger another catastrophic worldwide epidemic.

Given that no one wants a recurrence of the terrible COVID-19 pandemic that killed millions of people globally, it makes sense that scientists and researchers are now more cautious about possible viral outbreaks.

Although there have been other scares in recent years that have led health professionals to warn that a new pandemic is imminent, including those who predicted the coming of the coronavirus, fortunately, none of them have resulted in anything to date.

According to recent warnings from important scientists, however, Baba Vanga’s predictions may be more accurate than we realise. This is because a new virus that shares alarming similarities with COVID-19 has resurfaced in China.

Researchers have discovered what they are referring to as the HKU5-CoV-2 virus, which, like COVID-19, was initially discovered in bats, according to the Daily Mail.

It belongs to the coronavirus family and is particularly similar to MERS, which has a horrifyingly high human mortality rate. Scientists have suggested that it may be only a few steps away from infecting people.

Fortunately, experiments employing lab-created “pseudoviruses” have not revealed any indications of attaching to human cells without mutation, therefore in its current state, it poses almost no threat to humans.

If HKU5 spreads from bats to another “intermediate” mammal, it could mutate and eventually become altered enough to infect human cells, which is the cause for concern.

Professor Michael Letko of Washington State University has revealed, “HKU5 viruses in particular really hadn’t been looked at much, but our study shows how these viruses infect cells. What we also found is HKU5 viruses may be only a small step away from being able to spill over into humans.”

According to experts, there is little chance of a pandemic comparable to COVID-19 because HKU5 is “much less powerful” than the virus that we are all familiar with.

“The COVID pandemic is the worst in a century, but it doesn’t mean another is about to happen from bird flu or this or anything else,” explained Dr Mark Siegel of NYU Langone Health, adding that studies on bat-borne viruses like this “are a step in the right direction.”