NEW COVID VARIANT Detected in Africa South Africa’s National | Michael Jaco • Mike Jaco
NEW COVID VARIANT Detected in Africa
South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has confirmed the new variant known as B.1.1.529 on Thursday.
It has 32 mutations in the spike protein - the part which latches onto human cells - causing a London-based virologist at Imperial College to label the strain a "real concern." It's also been found in Botswana.
Dr. Tom Peacock added the low numbers currently in the region could mean it is simply a cluster of "not very transmissible" Covid.
