The U.K. added six African countries to its travel quarantine list on Thursday after a new, potentially more-transmissible variant of Covid-19 was identified there. Those countries are: South Afric…
have been detected, and only in South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana. But some experts are concerned.
“This variant did surprise us, it has a big jump in evolution, many more mutations than we expected, especially after a very severe third wave of Delta,” Tulio de Oliveira, director of the KwaZulu-Natal Research and Innovation Sequencing Platform2021 Covid Death Toll In U.S. Eclipses That Of 2020 With More Than A Month Yet To Go
The new variant has over 30 mutations in the spike protein alone, which raises fears on increased transmissibility, according to a South African researcher cited by the Times. The new variant has 10 mutations alone on the ACE2 receptor, which helps the virus to enter cells. That’s five times more mutations on that structure than the Delta variant exhibits, according to the researcher.
In Botswana, the health ministry confirmed four cases of B.1.1.529 were found fully-vaccinated patients. The single case in Hong Kong was carried there by a traveler from South Africa, according to multiple reports.today that “detected cases and percent testing positive are both increasing quickly, particularly in Gauteng, North West and Limpopo [provinces]. Seventy-none percent of new cases today are from Gauteng, which accounts for about 25% of the country’s population, said the statement.
“Although the data are limited, our experts are working overtime with all the established surveillance systems to understand the new variant and what the potential implications could be. Developments are occurring at a rapid pace and the public has our assurance that we will keep them up to date,” said Prof Adrian Puren, NICD Acting Executive Director.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
South Korea sees thousands of new Covid cases – latest updatesLatest on the global Covid19 crisis: 🇰🇷 South Korea reports thousands of fresh infections 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇧🇷 Brazil report hundreds of new deaths 🇳🇿 New Zealand to reopen to foreign travellers from April 30 For more:
Read more »
Far right spies an opportunity in Europe’s new wave of Covid pain and protestWhile vaccine skepticism is nothing new in Europe, the sometimes violent demonstrations of the last few days and weeks have a relatively new element: the radical far right.
Read more »
Covid-19: Four more deaths and 1,931 new coronavirus cases in NIThe total number of coronavirus-linked deaths recorded by the Department of Health is 2,851.
Read more »
Italy towns under new restrictions amid COVID infection rise | AP NewsROME (AP) — Twenty small towns in northern Italy’s autonomous South Tyrol province went into a partial lockdown Wednesday to try to contain rising coronavirus infections and save the key winter tourism season in one of the least-vaccinated parts of Italy.
Read more »
Dutch to detail new COVID curbs on Friday as cases surgeThe Dutch government will announce new measures on Friday to tackle a surge in coronavirus infections that is putting pressure on hospitals, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said.
Read more »