Covid-19: Here's what we know about the new variant detected in South Africa

Global authorities have reacted with alarm to a coronavirus variant detected in South Africa, with the EU, Britain and India among those announcing stricter border controls as scientists seek to determine if the mutation is vaccine-resistant.

Where and when was this new variant found?

South African scientists detected a small number of the variant - called B.1.1.529 - on Tuesday, in samples from November 14-16.

On Wednesday, South African scientists sequenced more genomes, informed the government that they were concerned and asked the World Health Organization to convene its technical working group on virus evolution for Friday.

The country has identified around 100 cases of the variant, mostly from its most populated province, Gauteng.

Where else has it been identified?

South African scientists say early signs from diagnostic laboratories suggest it has spread rapidly in Gauteng and may already be present in the country’s other eight provinces.

The country’s daily infection rate nearly doubled on Thursday to 2,465. The South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) did not attribute the resurgence to the new variant, though local scientists suspect it is the cause.

Botswana detected four cases, all foreigners who arrived on a diplomatic mission and have since left the country.

Hong Kong has one case, in a traveller from South Africa and Israel one in a traveller returning from Malawi.

The variant is relatively easy to distinguish in PCR tests from Delta, the dominant Covid-19 variant and the most infectious so far. Unlike Delta, it has a mutation known as the S-gene drop-out.

Why is it worrying scientists?

All viruses - including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 - change over time. Most changes have little or no impact on their properties.

However, some changes may affect how easily they spread, the their severity or the performance of vaccines against them.

This one has drawn scrutiny because it has more than 30 mutations of the spike protein that viruses use to get into human cells, UK health officials say.

That is about double the number of Delta, and makes this variant substantially different from the original coronavirus that current Covid vaccines were designed to counteract.

ALSO READ:

• Singapore, Malaysia restrict arrivals from southern Africa over Covid variant