New COVID-19 variant detected in South Africa: Everything you need to know about it

While the rapidly spreading variant of COVID-19 is already causing a worry in the UK, another variant of the existing genome of the coronavirus has been detected in South Africa, the health ministry announced last week. As per reports, the new 501.V2 variant in South Africa is also being linked to the drastic speed of transmission of the second wave that also infects younger patients. South African Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize reportedly also said on December 18 the new strain has been reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Even though pathogens mutate all the time and it is also a well-known fact among the scientists, the variant spreading in Britain is named VUI-202012/01 is currently determined to be 70% more infectious than the existing version. Therefore, it has raised fears of overlapping the current virus which has already rocked the world. However, the new variant in South Africa is also causing a reportedly shift in the epidemiological landscape of the country.

What is known about COVID-19 variant in South Africa?

Even though the South African experts are still looking into the details of the new COVID-19 variant, the health minister had said last week that the particular strain had dominated the results of the infections, especially in the last two months. Calling it a shift in the epidemiological landscape, doctors have reportedly noted that more younger patients were impacted with co-morbidities and developed severe forms of the highly-infectious disease which is sometimes deadly.

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• What is changed in 501.V2?

The South African health minister has also revealed that elements related to the new coronavirus strain “strongly indicate” that the second wave in the nation is “carried” by the new variant as nearly 90% of the samples tested in the country contain the new strain. As per reports, unlike other mutations that eventually die away, the 501.V2 has key changed in the part of the pathogen that helps it to stick to host cells in humans. It is also the same part of the virus which is impacted by the vaccines and antibody therapies.

• Will the existing vaccines work?

While the variant spreading in South Africa is different from that prevailing in the UK, the experts are still studying if the existing COVID-19 vaccine candidates will be working on 501.V2 which appears to be more infectious than the original strain. Several vaccine candidates including the one developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca are being subjected to clinical trials in South Africa. 

• What is new in the second wave?

While South African Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize said there is “no reason to panic”, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, chairman of the government's Ministerial Advisory Committee in a press briefing said “it is still very early stage” but noted that the second wave is spreading faster than the first wave.

Currently, as per reports, South Africa has over 8,500 hospitalisations related to COVID-19 and a member of the advisory committee told South Africa’s News24, Prof. Ian Sanne, that there is a “much earlier and much sharper rise in the second wave or resurgence than we anticipated.”

Scientists who are studying the variant at the preliminary stage have reportedly reiterated the COVID-19 guidelines including wearing masks and maintaining social distance. Moreover, the variant in South Africa is reportedly termed to be of high viral load and a quicker spread.

• How has the world reacted to it?

At least five countries have suspended flights from South Africa including Germany, Turkey, Israel, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia. Germany was one of the first nations to introduce the ban with its government Spokesperson Martina Fietz saying, “Because of the reported coronavirus mutation, the federal government intends to restrict travel options between Germany and Great Britain and South Africa”. 

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