The bat coronaviruses Yunnan caves infect people directly.In April 2012 six miners clearing bat guano Mojiang mine contracted severe pneumonia COVID-19-like symptoms three eventually died.A virus isolated Mojiang mine , called RaTG13 , still closest known relative SARS2.Much mystery surrounds origin , reporting strangely low affinity RaTG13 bat cells , well nature 8 similar viruses Shi reports collected time yet published despite great relevance ancestry SARS2.But story another time.The point bat viruses infect people directly , though special conditions.So else , besides miners excavating bat guano , comes particularly close contact bat coronaviruses ? Well , coronavirus researchers do.Shi says group collected 1,300 bat samples eight visits Mojiang cave 2012 2015 , doubtless many expeditions Yunnan caves .