A new bat virus with 92.6% identity to SARS-CoV-2 has been published, which of course means it's time for another 🧬@viralemergence βCoV Watch 🦇
https://twitter.com/SimonLoriereLab/status/1354180634525237249
Our ensemble doesn't predict Rhinolophus shameli but our two best models - Trait-1 and Network-1 - both do, bringing their hit rate up to 22/24 and 15/15 respectively. (Network-1 still undefeated!) Updates will follow shortly on viralemergence.org/betacov
As the authors point out, SARS-like viruses are still fairly understudied deeper in southeast Asia, but our model predicts that should be a hotspot of undiscovered bat βCoVs....
https://twitter.com/SimonLoriereLab/status/1354180640221126659
Increasingly, we think those models might help point to where we should be looking for the progenitors of SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife. And, we think approaches like ours might help tailor sampling (and cut the costs of research funded by taxpayers) in situations like this! 
At the same time - this is the first new virus published from a Rhinolophus species (which we assume will probably harbor the SARS-CoV-2 ancestor) since we started tracking new predictions almost a year ago. Tons more work to do on that genus still if we want to find the source.
Getting there requires:
🦇 new fieldwork
🦇 revisiting museum specimens
🦇 getting unpublished data in the open
🦇 new fieldwork
🦇 revisiting museum specimens
🦇 getting unpublished data in the open
• • •
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