SOUTH Africa will be one of six countries that are subject to a travel ban to stop the spread of a new Covid strain.
Senior scientists from the Government claimed that the super-mutant was “worst variant they have seen so far” – with vaccines expected to be at least a third less effective against it.
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Experts say the strain is behind an explosion in South Africa’s number of cases. In fact, some areas have seen six-fold increases in infection rates in just a few days.
According to Health Secretary Sajid Javid, flights from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Botswana as well as Botswana and Eswatini, will be suspended starting at midday tomorrow. All six countries will then be added to the redlist.
Javid claimed that South Africa has identified a new variant. “may be more transmissible”The Delta strain, and additional “the vaccines that we currently have may be less effective”
Officials are trying desperately to locate thousands of people who arrived in South Africa within the last ten days.
Although scientists said it was unlikely that the new strain would be found in the UK due to the number of people who fly in one day, they couldn’t rule it out.
Currently called B.1.1.529, the bug has 32 mutations – twice as many as the delta variant.
It has been discovered in South Africa as well as Botswana, Hong Kong and Hong Kong.
Today is the World Health Organisation’s meeting [Fri]To decide whether the bug should be considered an imminent threat
Scientists at the government were alarmed by the new strain last night, stating that their primary concern is the spike protein of the virus. “dramatically different”To the original Covid virus.
It means the vaccines and blockbuster new drugs will struggle to neutralise it – with optimistic estimates it will reduce efficacy by around a third.
WHO experts are likely name the variant “Nu”When they meet to discuss it, they will use, the next letter of the Greek alphabet.
This new variant appears to spread quickly
Dr Tulio de Oliveira
Dr Tulio, South Africa’s most prominent Covid tracker, stated that it was “of great concern”It quickly became the dominant strain.
He said: “This new variant seems to spread very quick.
“In less than two weeks it now dominates all infections following a devastating Delta wave in South Africa.
“The new variant is now at 75 per cent of the last genomes and is soon to reach 100 per cent.”
There have been at least 77 cases in the country, but many more are not yet confirmed.
UK virus scientists said that it was the most worrying virus they’ve seen since Delta emerged.
Ministers were urged to immediately stop travel from southern Africa and develop new vaccines to combat some of the mutations.
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More to come…
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