South African scientists have detected a new variant of COVID-19 in a small group of cases and are working to understand its possible implications, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) reported Thursday.
The NICD said in a statement that 22 cases of the B.1.1.529 variant had been recorded after genomic sequencing.
“Although data is limited, our experts are working full-time with all established surveillance systems to understand the new variant and its potential implications.”Said Professor Adrian Puren of the NICD.
South Africa was the first country to detect the beta variant last year. The beta is one of the four that the World Health Organization rates “of concern”Because there is evidence that it is more transmissible and that vaccines work worse against it.
The country detected another variant, C.1.2, earlier this year, but it has not displaced the more common delta variant, and it still represents a relatively small percentage of sequenced genomes.
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