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JOHANNESBURG – A severe variant of the coronavirus detected in South Africa could explain the rapid spread of a second wave affecting the very young, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said.
Known as the 501.V2 variant, it was identified by South African researchers and details have been sent to the World Health Organization, Mkhize said in a statement.
A team led by the Kwazulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP) has sequenced hundreds of virus samples since the pandemic began and “noted that one particular variant has increasingly dominated the findings from samples collected in the last two months, “he added.
READ: Mkhize: New variant of COVID-19 in SA
Doctors have pointed out that more patients are younger and do not always have other conditions that amplify the effect of the virus, but nevertheless suffer from more severe forms of COVID-19.
That “strongly suggests that the current second wave that we are experiencing is being driven by this new variant,” Mkhize concluded.
The research team, led by Tulio de Oliveira, has shared its findings with the scientific community and has alerted the British authorities, who have “studied their own samples and discovered that a similar mutation … was the variant that It was fueling their revival in London, “he said.
READ: Professor Karim: New variant is cause for concern
Variants of the coronavirus have been regularly identified and brought to the attention of world health officials.
Mkhize reiterated that the most effective way to fight back is to practice social distancing, wear face masks, and wash your hands regularly.
More than 8,700 cases were detected there in the previous 24 hours, still well below the peak of around 12,000 per day seen in July.
