MOSCOW, October 29. /TASS/. Researchers found the coronavirus in some bats living in Russia but a study to confirm the particular type of the virus will take some two years, a scientist at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing told TASS.
"The study is not over. We will need some two years to complete it. So far, the study has shown that there are some (so far unknown) coronaviruses in bats inhabiting Russia. The particular type will be uncovered during the study. This research allowed us to establish the order of genomes of a whole range of viruses (not coronaviruses) that were also found," said Anna Speranskaya, who heads the group for genomics and post-genomic studies at the Center.
According to the researcher, the study is being conducted only on bats from the Moscow Region. These animals avoid contact with people and are no more dangerous than other stray or wild animals. People simply should not touch them or destroy their habitat. "In case a person finds a bat on the ground they can carefully put it in a box (using gloves) and take it to an animal rehabilitation center," she explained.
Earlier, researchers at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing launched a large-scale study on finding coronaviruses among bats inhabiting Russia.