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It spreads faster
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A new variant of the virus has taken hold in South Africa.
It is believed to be even more contagious than the mutation that has spread in the UK and is feared to affect young people more.
A second variant of the coronavirus, 501Y.V2, has taken hold in South Africa. The second variant is believed to be even more contagious than the British variant that has spread across Europe and the world.
Two cases of the South African variant have been discovered in the UK. Besides being more contagious, it is feared that it will hit young people more.
The new variant is feared behind a fierce second wave of the virus in South Africa. Infection rates in the country have risen from less than 3,000 a day in early December to more than 9,500 a day, with the new mutant believed to be behind up to 90 percent of new infections.
Many new cases of infection are among young people between the ages of 15 and 25, but it is not clear whether this is a consequence of the new strain or behavior. A number of large youth parties have been singled out for the further spread of the infection.
“It is still too early to say, but preliminary statistics suggest that the virus dominating the second wave is spreading faster than the first,” said Professor Salim Abdool Karim, chairman of the government’s ministerial advisory committee, The Guardian reports.
Photo: Shiraaz Mohamed / TT NEWS AGENCY
More than 8,500 people in the country are treated in hospitals for covid – 19.
More than 8,500 people in the country are treated in hospitals for covid – 19. South African doctors say their patients are younger than before and, although they do not always have other underlying diseases, the virus affects them more severely, reports The Daily Mail.
Richard Lessells is one of the researchers studying the South African variant.
– 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. That means we must improve to stop it, Lessells told The Guardian.
– Our variant raises a few more questions when it comes to vaccinations, he tells the newspaper.
The new variant was discovered in South Africa on December 18 and the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, Israel and Mauritius have stopped flights from South Africa in an attempt to stop the spread of the variant.
More than a million cases of infection have been found in South Africa.
Photo: Jerome Delay / TT NEWS AGENCY
The new mutation mainly affects younger people.
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