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KAMPALA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) – Uganda will soon begin monitoring the new variant of COVID-19, a senior health official said Tuesday.
Joyce Moriku, minister for primary health status, said in a statement that the ministry is closely monitoring global trends for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, currently called the 501.V2 Variant reported in the UK, Australia, South Africa and Nigeria. .
“So far, we know that the new variant is spreading faster than we experienced in the first wave,” Moriku said.
“It is important to note that this new variant strain has not been reported in Uganda,” he added.
She said the ministry, in collaboration with regional partners and the African Center for Disease Control through the Uganda Virus Research Institute, will begin genome surveillance of the new variant to determine its prevalence in the country.
“We know that virus transmission and control measures remain the same as wave 1 virus, constant use of face masks, social distancing, and good hand hygiene,” Moriku said.
Several countries have banned flights from Britain and South Africa to prevent the spread of the new strain of the virus. Final product
