In the network of R. malayanus, there are four major haplogroups (named I, II, III and IV in Fig. 3) separated by a minimum of seven mutations. The CO1 haplotypes detected in the localities sampled in southern China (ch2 and ch3) were also found in northern Laos (L1 and L3), suggesting recent gene flow between populations from these two countries. Since a virus related to SARS-CoV-2 (93.7% of genome identity), named RmYN02, was recently isolated from one R. malayanus bat collected in southern Yunnan in June 20195, the genetic pattern obtained for this species suggests that viruses closely related to RmYN02 may have circulated, at least between southern Yunnan and northern Laos. In contrast, the bats sampled in Myanmar were found to be genetically isolated from other geographic populations (haplogroup II in Fig. 3).