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Johannesburg:
South Africa has recognized a brand new variant of the coronavirus that’s driving a second wave of infections, the well being minister mentioned on Friday, days after Britain mentioned it had additionally discovered a brand new variant of the virus boosting circumstances.
“We have convened this public briefing today to announce that a variant of the SARS-COV-2 Virus – currently termed 501.V2 Variant – has been identified by our genomics scientists here in South Africa,” Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize tweeted.
“The evidence that has been collated, therefore, strongly suggests that the current second wave we are experiencing is being driven by this new variant,” Mkhize added.
South Africa has recorded the very best variety of coronavirus infections in Africa, approaching the 900,000 mark, with over 20,000 associated deaths. A resurgence in circumstances noticed the federal government tighten restrictions on society this week.
The World Health Organization (WHO) mentioned on Friday it was in contact with the South African researchers who recognized the brand new variant.
The world physique added there was no indication there have been adjustments in the best way the brand new pressure of the virus was behaving.
“We are working with them with our SARS-COV-2 Virus evolution working group. They are growing the virus in the country and they’re working with researchers to determine any changes in the behaviour of the virus itself in terms of transmission,” WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove instructed a information convention in Geneva.
South African well being authorities mentioned the brand new variant appeared to unfold sooner than the earlier iteration, however that it was too early to inform its severity and whether or not present vaccines would work in opposition to it.
“In the UK they have also identified a new variant … there are quite a few similarities between the two lineages … there are also a similar number of mutations” mentioned Prof Tulio de Oliviera, a member of presidency’s genomics consortium in a televised briefing.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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