Severe Covid variant found in S Africa Afp, Johannesburg Afp, Johannesburg
A severe variant of the coronavirus has been detected in South Africa which could explain the rapid spread of a second wave that affects younger people, the health minister said.
Known as the 501.V2 Variant, it was identified by South African researchers and details have been sent to the World Health Organization, Zwelini Mkhize said in a statement on Friday.
A team led by the Kwazulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), has sequenced hundreds of virus samples since the pandemic began, and noticed that a particular variant has increasingly dominated the findings of the samples collected in the past two months, he added.
(Getty)
South African scientists have discovered a new coronavirus variant that could mean more people are infected in the country s second wave than in the initial surge.
While there is as yet no proof that the new variant is more deadly, it seems to be spreading faster – and there is concern that its mutations could have an impact on vaccine efficacy, although this is also as yet unproven.
The variant was found by genomics scientists from across the country, who have been analysing the genetic samples of the virus since the start of the pandemic, under the auspices of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP).
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Updated / Friday, 18 Dec 2020
23:33
A nurse performing a Covid-19 test at Lancet Nectare hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa today
A severe variant of coronavirus has been detected in South Africa which could explain the rapid spread of a second wave affecting younger people, the health minister said today.
Known as the 501.V2 Variant, it was identified by South African researchers and details have been sent to the World Health Organization, Zwelini Mkhize said in a statement.
A team led by the Kwazulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), has sequenced hundreds of virus samples since the pandemic began.
Mr Mkhize said it noticed that a particular variant has increasingly dominated the findings of the samples collected in the past two months .
JOHANNESBURG • A severe variant of the coronavirus has been detected in South Africa, which could explain the rapid spread of a second wave that affects younger people, the health minister has said.
Known as the 501.V2 Variant, it was identified by South African researchers and details have been sent to the World Health Organisation, Mr Zwelini Mkhize said in a statement on Friday.
A team, led by the Kwazulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform, has sequenced hundreds of virus samples since the coronavirus pandemic began and noticed that a particular variant has increasingly dominated the findings of the samples collected in the past two months , he added.