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Two mutations in the new coronavirus have taken hold in both the UK and South Africa.
Sweden has stopped flights from the UK. At the same time, the variant spreading in South Africa appears to be even more contagious, writes The Guardian.
– If we compare our data with that of the UK, this variant seems to be a bit more efficient when it comes to spreading from person to person, and that is not good. This means that we need to improve to stop it, Richard Lessells, one of the researchers studying the variant in South Africa, tells the newspaper.
They are also looking at whether the variant discovered there, 501Y.V2, could re-infect people who have already had COVID-19.
– Our variant raises a few more questions when it comes to vaccines, says Lessells.
Hit harder on the second wave
The British variant, N501Y, involves changes in the nail protein that the virus uses to attack cells.
The variant in South Africa also appears to make it easier for the virus to enter cells. Around 200 cases have been confirmed so far, and it is now spreading from the inland shores, writes The Guardian.
There is no indication that the new variant is causing more serious illness, but the concern is that hospitals may become overburdened if it turns out that the new variant has taken hold and the infection is spreading faster. The number of infections in the country has risen rapidly since early December.
“Preliminary data shows that the virus that dominates in the second wave is spreading faster than in the first,” says Salim Abdool on the South African government advisory committee on covid-19.
Sweden does not have direct flights from South Africa.
