Just as it looked like things are finally going back to normal, news of a new COVID-19 variant in Southern Africa has scientists and health officials concerned.
This new COVID-19 variant (known as B.1.1.529) has been detected in more than 20 samples taken from COVID-positive people in South Africa as per ABC. The Guardian reveals that 100 confirmed cases have also been identified in Hong Kong, Israel, and Botswana.
The Guardian further confirms that B.1.1.529 is worrying because it could evade the body’s immune response and make it more transmissible, scientists have said. Any new variant that is able to evade vaccines or spread faster than the now-dominant Delta variant is cause for great concern. Tulio de Oliveira, a bioinformatician with South Africa’s Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, said at a public briefing that the new variant had a “very unusual constellation of mutations”.
There is still a lot of research that needs to be done on this new variant, however, scientists are alarmed by the number of changes in this variant’s genetic code.
Professor Edward Holmes, who studies the emergence of infectious diseases, revealed as per ABC that this variant is so distinct from other variants which can be very concerning.
“It is definitely a serious concern,” he revealed.
“It has mutations throughout the spike protein that might make it able to evade immune responses.”
The Guardian further confirms that senior scientists have described B.1.1.529 as the worst variant they had seen since the start of the pandemic because it has 32 mutations in the spike protein, which is reportedly the part of the virus that most vaccines use to prime the immune system against Covid.
That said, Prime Minister Scott Morrison advises that this variant “is not of concern” right now for Australia, but is being monitored closely as per Nine News.
“I am advised that is under investigation and not a variant of concern. But that can change. We monitor all of these variants,” Mr. Morrison said.
“We note the responses that are made by other countries and we consider those in real-time.
“What is more important is the best protection against any variants, and those that are present, is vaccination.”
