The coronaviruses detected in the Pteropus and Rousettus species of bats from different States, including Kerala, have nothing to do with COVID-19, researchers have said. Moreover, the newly identified bat coronavirus (BtCoV) had no role in spreading any diseases in human beings, Pragya D. Yadav, the first author of the study, told The Hindu. The reported news of the detection of coronaviruses had created a commotion in scientific circles, as the bat samples were collected from here. However, the reported bat coronavirus from India and Thailand had not been associated with any human disease so far. The pathogenic diseases were confirmed in studies carried out in China.

Source: The Hindu April 15, 2020 14:21 UTC