Feb 21 (Reuters) - A newly discovered bat coronavirus

uses the same cell-surface protein to gain entry into human

cells as the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, raising the

possibility that it could someday spread to humans, Chinese

researchers have reported.

The virus does not enter human cells as readily as

SARS-CoV-2 does, the Chinese researchers reported in the journal

Cell, noting some of its limitations.

The scientists said that like SARS-CoV-2, the bat virus

HKU5-CoV-2 contains a feature known as the furin cleavage site

that helps it to enter cells via the ACE2 receptor protein on

cell surfaces.

In lab experiments, HKU5-CoV-2 infected human cells with

high ACE2 levels in test tubes and in models of human intestines

and airways.

In further experiments, the researchers identified

monoclonal antibodies and antiviral drugs that target the bat

virus.

Bloomberg, which reported on the study earlier on Friday,

said the paper identifying the bat virus had moved shares of

COVID vaccine makers. Pfizer ( PFE ) shares closed up 1.5% on

Friday, Moderna ( MRNA ) climbed 5.3% and Novavax ( NVAX ) was

up about 1% on a down day for the broader market.

Asked about concerns raised by the report of another

pandemic resulting from this new virus, Dr. Michael Osterholm,

an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota,

called the reaction to the study "overblown."

He said there is a lot of immunity in the population to

similar SARS viruses compared with 2019, which may reduce the

pandemic risk.

The study itself noted that the virus has significantly less

binding affinity to human ACE2 than SARS-CoV-2, and other

suboptimal factors for human adaptation suggest the "risk of

emergence in human populations should not be exaggerated."