Corona: We know that from the 501.V2 variant of the South African Corona.

More contagious, but not more dangerous: 9 points on the new variant of the South African virus

The coronavirus has mutated. Two variants are currently in focus: one was first discovered in Great Britain and the other in South Africa. Both have arrived in Switzerland. We know that from the new variant of Africa.

The coronavirus has mutated. A few weeks ago the World Health Organization was notified of new variants in Great Britain and later also in South Africa. It is not clear where they originate. The truth, however, is that the two variants are spreading in different countries. Switzerland is also affected.

The British virus became known in December. London then imposed a closure and the measures were complemented in all parts of the country. However, the number of new infections continues to rise. According to previous information, the new variant is more contagious, but not more dangerous. It was also refuted that children would become more infected with it.

In addition to the British variant (B.1.1.7), a mutated version was also discovered in South Africa (501.V2), which developed independently of B.1.1.7. It’s supposed to be even more contagious. Not much is known yet. This is the state of affairs:

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The South African variant

“Mutations in the South African version show significant changes in structure,” immunologist Sir John Bell of the University of Oxford told the “Times.” For him, the South African variant is more worrying than the British one.

British Health Secretary Matthew Hancock also said: “This new variant is extremely concerning because it is even more transferable and has apparently mutated more than the (first) new variant.” The American Health Authority summarizes the current state of knowledge on its website.

First test

The virus variant was first discovered on December 18 in South Africa in Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth). It was found in a sample from early October.

According to Wolfgang Preiser of the University of Stellenbosch, the experts determined this through samples from all over the country: “We have formed a network of researchers who receive routine samples from patients from all over the country, then sequence them, that is, define with precision the genetic makeup of the virus and compare.

Situation in South Africa

It cannot be said precisely how widespread the virus variant is in South Africa. One thing is clear: the number of new infections in the Cape Country has risen significantly in recent days and has surpassed the first wave of July (around 13,000 daily cases) with around 20,000 daily cases more recently. As the first country in Africa, South Africa has more than a million infections and almost 30,000 deaths.

South African infectious disease specialist Richard Lessells confirmed to the AP news agency that the new variant is spreading rapidly and is already dominant in some regions of South Africa.

The situation in South Africa is reaching a critical point. The country returned to alert level 3 on December 29. This means, among other things, mandatory mask, curfew from 9 pm to 6 am and the prohibition of the sale of alcohol. South Africa has five different alert levels. In the fall of South Africa, level 5 was valid for about a month, at the time one of the toughest locks in the world.

Hospitals are now reaching their limits. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said during the holiday season that private hospitals were full and patients had to be transferred to public hospitals (significantly worse).

The variant of the virus in Switzerland

The South African variant of the virus had already reached Switzerland on December 27 with two cases. One person was in Schwyz at the time of the test result, the other was already in France. A third case was confirmed in Ticino on January 1.

As with the British variant, the same applies here: there are probably more cases in Switzerland. The variant does not stop at the state border.

What other countries are affected?

The list of countries with the proven South African variant is getting longer and longer. Cases have been found in Great Britain, France, Finland, Japan, South Korea, and Australia, among others.

Is the new virus more contagious?

According to current knowledge, the South African mutation is even more contagious than Great Britain.

Is the new virus more dangerous?

On December 24, virologist John Nkengasong, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Africa, could not give a definitive answer: “What is absolutely clear is that it is transmitted rapidly and that there are currently a large number of infected people. We know that for sure. We don’t know yet if there will be more difficult processes. “That is still the state of knowledge.

Does the new virus affect younger people?

There were reports from South Africa that more young people were infected with the new variant and had a more severe disease. A clear trend towards the youngest is not yet evident.

More recently, there were reports from South Africa with younger deaths. First, two sisters died within a few days, then a young woman who had to cancel her wedding shortly before Christmas due to illness and a little later, like her parents, died of Covid-19.

Does the current vaccination protect against the new variant?

It has not yet been confirmed whether the current vaccine will also work against the South African variant. John Bell of Oxford University simply told the Times that we would have to wait and see. It does not assume that the current vaccination will have no effect. If it is, it could take four to six weeks before a new vaccine is ready.