A new coronavirus, designated WH-Human 1 coronavirus (WHCV), was identified in a patient with severe respiratory disease in Wuhan, China. The patient, a 41-year-old man, was admitted to the hospital on 26 December 2019 with symptoms including fever, cough, and chest tightness. Metagenomic RNA sequencing of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from the patient identified WHCV, which is related to SARS-like coronaviruses found in bats. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete viral genome (29,903 nucleotides) showed 89.1% nucleotide similarity to a group of SARS-like coronaviruses. WHCV is a member of the genus Betacoronavirus (subgenus Sarbecovirus) and shares genomic and phylogenetic similarities with SARS-CoV, particularly in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein. The RBD of WHCV is closely related to those of SARS-CoVs and bat SARS-like coronaviruses that can use the human ACE2 receptor for cell entry. The virus was found to have a high abundance in clinical samples and is likely to have been transmitted from bats to humans. The study highlights the ongoing ability of viral spillover from animals to cause severe disease in humans. The virus was identified through deep metagenomic sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The study also suggests that WHCV may have undergone recombination events, but there is no evidence that recombination facilitated its emergence. The virus was later designated as SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), and the disease caused by it was named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO). The study provides insights into the origin and transmission of the virus, and highlights the importance of understanding the role of bats as potential natural reservoirs of coronaviruses. The findings suggest that further research is needed to determine the natural reservoir and any intermediate hosts of WHCV.A new coronavirus, designated WH-Human 1 coronavirus (WHCV), was identified in a patient with severe respiratory disease in Wuhan, China. The patient, a 41-year-old man, was admitted to the hospital on 26 December 2019 with symptoms including fever, cough, and chest tightness. Metagenomic RNA sequencing of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from the patient identified WHCV, which is related to SARS-like coronaviruses found in bats. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete viral genome (29,903 nucleotides) showed 89.1% nucleotide similarity to a group of SARS-like coronaviruses. WHCV is a member of the genus Betacoronavirus (subgenus Sarbecovirus) and shares genomic and phylogenetic similarities with SARS-CoV, particularly in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein. The RBD of WHCV is closely related to those of SARS-CoVs and bat SARS-like coronaviruses that can use the human ACE2 receptor for cell entry. The virus was found to have a high abundance in clinical samples and is likely to have been transmitted from bats to humans. The study highlights the ongoing ability of viral spillover from animals to cause severe disease in humans. The virus was identified through deep metagenomic sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The study also suggests that WHCV may have undergone recombination events, but there is no evidence that recombination facilitated its emergence. The virus was later designated as SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), and the disease caused by it was named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO). The study provides insights into the origin and transmission of the virus, and highlights the importance of understanding the role of bats as potential natural reservoirs of coronaviruses. The findings suggest that further research is needed to determine the natural reservoir and any intermediate hosts of WHCV.