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| - SUMMARY
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
At a glance:
- Claim: According to a March 13 article by Daily Express UK, a new virus discovered in China was found to be most similar in genetic makeup to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
- Rating: MISSING CONTEXT
- The facts: The new virus was discovered as part of a study to trace the origins of SARS-CoV-2. As of writing, the study has not been peer-reviewed by experts.
- Why we fact-checked this: An article was released by Daily Express, a tabloid in the United Kingdom, claiming that the newly discovered virus was the existing virus closest to SARS-CoV-2 due to similar spike proteins.
UPDATE: After an email exchange with Rappler, Daily Express UK has updated their story to reflect that their article was based on a paper that was not yet peer-reviewed at the time it was published. The article “Identification of novel bat coronaviruses sheds light on the evolutionary origins of SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses” was published in the journal Cell on Wednesday, June 9.
Complete details:
On March 13, Daily Express UK published an article claiming that a new virus nearly identical to SARS-CoV-2 was recently discovered in China.
The article included the sentence, “Chinese researchers said RpYN06 was the closest disease to COVID-19 so far as it shares a similar spike protein.”
The article has accumulated 279 reactions, 251 comments, and 210 shares since publication online, based on CrowdTangle data.
This claim lacks context.
The article on Daily Express UK didn’t specify that the study had not been peer-reviewed at the time of publishing; neither did it link to the post on bioRxiv. It didn’t mention the warning label on bioRxiv either, which stated that the paper should not be reported in news media as established information.
There is a study that says the newly discovered “RpYN06” was found to be most similar to SARS-CoV-2 in genetic makeup at 94.5%. However, this study – titled “Identification of novel bat coronaviruses sheds light on the evolutionary origins of SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses” – was published on bioRxiv, an online archive and distribution service for unpublished preprints. It has not been peer-reviewed as of the time Daily Express UK published their article.
According to bioRxiv, “An article [on their website] may be posted prior to, or concurrently with, submission to a journal but should not be posted if it has already been accepted for publication by a journal.”
The webpage where the study was posted also has a warning label in yellow that says bioRxiv is receiving many new papers about SARS-CoV-2. The label says, “[These papers] should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or be reported in news media as established information.”
The article on Daily Express UK didn’t specify that the study had not been peer-reviewed; neither did it link to the post on bioRxiv. It didn’t mention the warning label on bioRxiv either.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences in Taian, China, and was published on March 8. It was conducted to identify the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and other related zoonotic viruses using 411 samples from 23 different bat species in Yunnan province, China. It didn’t state if RpYN06 could be transmitted to humans.
The study was conducted as part of further research on viruses with zoonotic origins like SARS-CoV-2, which is believed to have originated in animals like bats and pangolins, according to ongoing investigations. – Sofia Guanzon/Rappler.com
The writer is a Rappler intern. Her fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s internship program here.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
Read more about the claims about the COVID-19 pandemic that we’ve debunked by clicking on the links below:
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