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The new variant of coronavirus identified in South Africa in October last year is no more deadly than the usual version, but it is 1.5 times more contagious, a group of South African experts concluded on Monday.
Named 510Y.V2, the mutation is “50% more transmissible,” but “there is no indication that the new strain is more serious,” said Salim Abdool Karim, epidemiologist and co-chair of the scientific committee of the South African Ministry of Health. AFP, cited by Agerpres. These conclusions resulted mainly from data collected on the main sources of pollution in the country located in southern Africa.
South Africa has more than 1.3 million coronavirus cases, of which some 37,000 have died. Severely affected by the second wave of the pandemic, the country saw a 23% drop in the number of cases on Monday, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said.
South Africa has certainly reached the “tipping point” of this second wave, he said, “but it is too early to celebrate,” as hospital admissions increased by 18.3 percent. with the week before. The second wave of the pandemic puts enormous pressure on the country’s healthcare system, which is in high demand.
“If the number of patients is lower, the mortality in the hospital has not changed” between the first and second waves, said a specialist member of the group, Waasila Jassat. The discovery of the new strain forced the South African authorities to introduce new restrictions in December.
“People underestimated this virus. This virus can evolve and adapt,” said another scientist in the group, Alex Sigal of the South African Institute for Health Research.
Publisher: Adrian Dumitru
