There are still speculations floating around the variant's origin. India has called for rigorous screening of passengers from South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong.ĥ. Two cases have been detected in Hong Kong. Israel has identified a case of a Covid-19 variant with a large number of mutations "in a person who returned from Malawi". First identified in South Africa this week, the strain has spread to nearby countries, including Botswana. The WHO has called a meeting to discuss B.1.1.529 and decide if it will be officially designated a variant of concern.Ĥ.
Scientists have said it is the most heavily mutated version yet, which means vaccines, which were designed using the original strain from Wuhan in China, may not be as effective. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it will take a few weeks to understand the impact of the new variant. The B.1.1.529 variant has 50 mutations overall, including more than 30 on the spike protein alone which is the target of most current Covid vaccines.ģ. B.1.1.529 carries a high number of mutations in its spike protein, which plays a key role in the virus' entry into cells in the human body. Many of the mutations are of concern for immune evasion and transmissibility.Ģ. And, two, there's no evidence so far of a variant that can. According to South African health officials, the 'B.1.1.529' variant has many more mutations than scientists expected, especially after a severe third wave, which was driven by the Delta variant. For one, he says, there is only one known strain of the novel coronavirus - the original one, SARS-CoV-2, first discovered in Wuhan. Here are five things you should know about this deadly super Covid variant that has forced a number of countries, including the UK, Israel, Italy and Singapore, to restrict travel from South Africa and other countries in the region.ġ. Over 100 cases have been detected in South Africa, where the new strain is slowly becoming the dominant one. As the world reopens after 18-20 months of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns, a new variant of the coronavirus - called B.1.1.529 - has been identified in South Africa that has left the scientific community worried, as they fear that this new strain could fuel outbreaks in several countries and cripple health systems once again.
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