The world has reopened after the Kovid-19 pandemic and 18-20 months of lockdown, but a new variant of the coronavirus found in South Africa – B.1.1.529 has once again raised concerns. This new variant has again worried the scientific community and people around the world because experts think that it spreads faster than the delta variant and it can dodge the vaccine. That is, the vaccine is ineffective on it. More than 100 cases of this variant have been detected in South Africa, where the new strain is slowly spreading rapidly.
For the first time this week, this variant was identified in South Africa. This strain has spread to surrounding countries including Botswana. Here even fully vaccinated people have become infected. Four in Botswana and more than 100 cases in South Africa have been linked to this new virus. The name of the new variant of Corona is B.1.1529, which is also being called ‘Botswana Variant’. Here are five things you should know about this deadly Super Covid variant, which has forced several countries including the UK, Israel, Italy, and Singapore to restrict travel from South Africa and other countries in the region.
- According to the health officials of South Africa, the ‘B.1.1.529’ variant has multiple mutations. Several mutations are a concern for immune evasion and transmissibility.
- 1.1.529 carries high numbers of mutations in its spike protein, which plays an important role in virus entry into cells in the human body. B.1.1.529 variants have a total of 50 mutations, including over 30 mutations on the spike protein alone which is the target of most current COVID vaccines.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that it will take a few weeks to understand the effect of the new variant. Scientists have said that this is the variant with the highest mutation ever, which means that the current vaccine against it may not be as effective. WHO has convened a meeting to discuss B.1.1.529 and decide whether it can be officially declared as a Type of Concern.
- First identified in South Africa this week, the strain has spread to surrounding countries including Botswana. Israel has identified a case of a Kovid-19 variant with a large number of mutations in a person returned from Malawi’. Two cases have been detected in Hong Kong. India has appealed for screening of passengers from South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong.
- There is still speculation about the origin of the variant. According to François Belloux, director of the London-based UCL Genetics Institute, the new strain is ‘likely to develop into an untreated HIV/AIDS patient during a chronic infection with a weakened immune system.’