Scientists around the world, the World Health Organization and governments of various countries are concerned about the emergence of a new variant of the coronavirus. Until recently, only one province in South Africa had reported cases of the virus, but in the past day, additional cases have been identified in Hong Kong, Israel, and Belgium. Experts fear a rapid spread of the new variant throughout the world.
To date, approximately 100 cases of infection with the new coronavirus variant have been reported, most in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Isolated cases have been reported in several other countries around the world. The Hong Kong incident is directly linked to the arrival of an infected person from South Africa. Based on their research, the results of which have not yet been published, South African scientists say that the new variant is probably already present almost everywhere in South Africa.
Britain has already suspended flights to six African countries – South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Eswatini. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced the ban on flights from most African countries on Friday. The WHO is holding an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the new threat, which is likely to be given a Greek name – following the pattern of Alpha, Beta and Delta. The new variant is currently known as B.1.1.529.
Protests are taking place near the government building in the South African capital, Pretoria. Activists are calling on the authorities to facilitate access to treatment for covid-19, cancer, HIV and other diseases for all sections of the population. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what’s next. The number of offers should remain the same: Episodes The end of the story: Podcast Advertising
According to scientists, it is very different from all previous ones. “This variant surprised us. It has made a significant evolutionary leap and has undergone about 50 mutations,” said Professor Tulio de Oliveira, head of the South African Centre for Epidemiological Response, during a briefing for journalists.
About 30 of the 50 mutations affected the so-called spike protein – the spikes on the virus membrane that resemble the outline of the sun’s corona, which the virus uses to enter human cells. This is the most alarming feature of the new variant, scientists say, because most vaccines work specifically to neutralize these spikes.
Another part of the virus, which comes into contact with the organism after the spike protein paves the way into the cell, has mutated 10 times into a new variant. For comparison, in the Delta variant, this segment of the virus underwent two mutations.
According to scientists, the level of mutations could have been provoked in the body of a patient with a weakened immune system that was unable to fight off the virus. Although experts say that intense mutation is not necessarily dangerous to humans, in this case it is important to understand that we are now dealing with a virus that is radically different from the one that appeared in Wuhan and led to the pandemic.
This means that vaccines currently in development may prove ineffective against B.1.1.529. In particular, some mutations cause the antibodies in the human body to not recognize the virus as easily as before. The mutation, known as N501Y, makes the virus more contagious, and with each new similar transformation, the scale of the infection spreads. This is exactly what scientists are worried about at the moment – the greater potential for the virus to spread.
In addition, the new variant appears to have learned to evade some mechanisms of the human immune system, which until recently easily recognized the virus. It is still unclear how the new coronavirus variant will behave in countries with high vaccination coverage. It is also unclear how much easier or harder the disease caused by the new variant is compared to the Delta infection. While laboratory investigations are ongoing, WHO is urging countries to strengthen epidemiologic surveillance and provide regular statistics on the spread of B.1.1.529.