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First identified in Nelson Mandela Bay, along the east coast of South Africa, it quickly spread to other districts of the Eastern Cape and to the provinces of the Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal (KZN).
Scientists say the variant is different from others circulating in South Africa because it has multiple mutations in the important “spike” protein that the virus uses to infect human cells.
It has also been associated with a higher viral load, which means a higher concentration of virus particles in the body of patients, possibly contributing to higher levels of transmission.
Between 80% and 90% of new cases in the country are carriers of the mutant variant, according to health authorities.
ARE THE CONCERNS JUSTIFIED?
All viruses, including the one that causes COVID-19, change over time and hundreds of variations of this virus have been identified around the world.
South African scientists say there is no clear evidence at this stage that this variant is associated with more serious disease or worse outcomes. However, it seems to spread faster than previous iterations.
“What has happened with the large number of infections that are growing very fast is that it has overwhelmed the healthcare system really quickly,” said Professor Tulio de Oliveira, director of the KZN Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP). , who helped perform genome sequencing in South African mutant variant. “And when that happens, we have a huge increase in mortality.”
The positivity rate, or the percentage of all coronavirus tests performed that are actually positive, stood at 26% as of Dec. 23, about double the average infection rate prior to December, when the virus showed signs of decline. .
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