UK’s Covid-19 variant detected in SA Updated
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The Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa says it s found its first case of the UK variant of the coronavirus in South Africa.
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Kwazulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform director, Professor Tulio de Oliveira, announced at a World Health Organisation Africa Covid-19 press briefing on Thursday.
We have just reported the first imported case of B.1.1.7, that is the variant of concern in the UK, said de Oliveira
The Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa (NGS-SA) would like to report the first genome of B.1.1.7 (501Y.V1) in South Africa. We are finalizing the assembly of the genome and will deposit soon at GISAID. This was produced by the Stellenbosch University and NHLS. Tulio de Oliveira (@Tuliodna) January 28, 2021
KZN scientist finds new way of growing new Covid-19 variant in groundbreaking research
By Staff Reporter
SILINDILE NYATHIKAZI
Durban - A DURBAN medical student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Nelson Mandela School of Medicine and aspiring virologist has come up with a creative way of growing the South African Covid-19 variant.
Where the virus is usually grown in cells that were isolated from monkeys, this time Sandile Cele found that the new variant (called 501Y.V2) did not grow in these cells and had to try a different way.
“I figured out that I had to first use a human cell line to grow it, and then use these infected cells to infect the monkey cell line,” said Cele.
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Minister Blade Nzimande: Plans for reopening of Post School Education and Training Institutions amid Coronavirus Covid-19 - 18 Jan 2021
CATEGORY: Media and COVID-19
AUTHOR: DST.gov.za
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation statement on plans for the reopening of Post School Education and Training Institutions and the contribution of science and innovation in the fight against Covid-19
On our science and innovation interventions we continue to work with our sister Department of Health, the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC); Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAF); KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP); our entities the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); Human Science Research Council (HSRC) and National Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities (NIHSS); Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and the Biovac Institute, pharmaceutical company partly owned by governme