SA scientists identify COVID-19 variant, Mkhize announces Health Minister Zweli Mkhize is briefing the media on the latest developments regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize. Picture: EWN
105 days ago
JOHANNESBURG - Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has announced that South African scientists have identified a variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The variant is a version of the COVID-19 virus.
The Kwazulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform identified the virus variant after sequencing hundreds of samples of the virus and noticing that this particular variant had been dominating the findings from the samples collected in the past two months.
The briefing on Friday, 18 December, was addressed by Mkhize, Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Blade Nzimande, Prof Tulio de Oliveira (director of KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform, or KRISP, at the University of KwaZulu-Natal) and Professor Salim Abdool-Karim, both members of the Consortium of Genomic Scientists.
It focused on Mkhize’s announcement that “a variant 501.v2 has been identified here”, which has now been sequenced at various clinics.
Abdool-Karim, who co-chairs the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19, revealed that they were confident that the second wave could be ascribed to this new variant which appears to be more potent and transmissible, although it is unclear whether it will cause higher mortality rates or more severe illness.
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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 Friday.
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, and noticed that a particular variant has increasingly dominated the findings of the samples collected in the past two months, he added.
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A healthcare worker in Johannesburg.
Image: RealTime Images/ABACA
Image: RealTime Images/ABACA
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.
JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - 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 on Friday (Dec 18).
Known as the 501.V2 Variant, it was identified by South African researchers and details have been sent to the World Health Organisation, 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, and noticed that a particular variant has increasingly dominated the findings of the samples collected in the past two months, he added.