China, Japan, Philippines and Thailand likely to be new COVID 'hotspot': US study

The study has been conducted by a team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, Polytechnic University of Milan and Massey University of New Zealand.

New York: A joint study conducted by a team of researchers has claimed that China, Japan, the Philippines and Thailand may turn into new "hotspots" favourable for bats that carry coronaviruses. According to the study, conditions in these places could become ripe for the disease to jump from bats to humans. The study has been conducted by a team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, Polytechnic University of Milan and Massey University of New Zealand. The findings of the study have been published in the journal Nature Food. The study showed land-use change related to forest fragmentation, agricultural expansion and concentrated livestock production are creating favourable ‘hot spots’ globally for bats carrying coronavirus.