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By IOL Reporter 
5h ago
On Christmas Eve 2020, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize reported that 14,305 new coronavirus cases were identified and 326 more Covid-19-related deaths confirmed.
South Africa has a cumulative total of 968,563 Covid-19 cases, while the death toll is 25,983.
“Sadly, we reported 326 more Covid-19 related deaths: Eastern Cape 109, Free State 4, Gauteng 22, Kwa-Zulu Natal 81 and Western Cape 110. This brings the total deaths to 25,983,” Mkhize said Thursday.
A cumulative total of 6325784 tests have been performed with 56008 tests performed since the last
Recoveries now amount to 822,978.
In a statement Thursday, Mkhize also said there was no evidence that the 501.V2 variant found in South Africa is more dangerous than the UK variant.
The Health Minister said he was concerned that some of the statements made by UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Wednesday “have created the perception that the variant in South Africa has been a major factor in the second wave in the UK”.
Hancock announced travel restrictions from South Africa on Wednesday effective immediately following the discovery of two cases of the virus strain in Britain.
“This new variant is very concerning, because it is even more transmissible and appears to have mutated more than the new variant that has been discovered in the UK,” Hancock said.
“This is not correct,” Mkhize said. “There is evidence that the UK variant was developed before the South African variant.”
“To give historical context, on 14 December the UK informed WHO that a variant had been identified and it dated back to 20 September 2020 in Kent, south east England, approximately one month before the variant South African seems to have developed. This variant has a mutation that occurs in a common site with the South African variant (501), although they are two completely independent lineages. The UK variant is believed to be driving the second wave that the UK is currently experiencing.
“Furthermore, the UK variant has already been identified outside the UK, as reported by Professor Neil Ferguson, a leading British scientist who told the UK science and technology committee two days ago (23 December 2020) that evidence from Denmark, a country with a relatively low infection rate suggests that the new variant of the virus identified in the UK is ‘almost certainly’ already found in the ‘vast majority, if not all’ countries Europeans ”.
Mkhize said they are also concerned that rhetoric is developing that the 501.V2 variant is more transmissible than the UK variant or may cause more severe morbidity and mortality.
This came from two samples collected from contacts of South African travelers that tested positive for a SARS-COV-2 variant genetically identical to 501.V2.
“We have consulted with our genomics team who have assured us that there is currently no evidence that 501.V2 is more transmissible than the UK variant, as suggested by the UK Health Secretary. There is also no evidence that 501.V2 causes more serious disease or increased mortality than the UK variant or any variant that has been sequenced worldwide, ”Mkhize said.
He added that banning travel between the UK and South Africa was “an unfortunate decision.”
“Such a decision would require more scientific evidence than is currently available. There is no evidence that the SA variant is more pathogenic than the UK variant to necessitate this step. “
MESS
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