COVID-19: The South African Covid-19 variant: Here's what scientists know so far.

 

Image of Covid-19 structure courtesy of American Society
 for Microbiology

The scientists call it 501.V2 or B.1.351 Variant. It was first detected by the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP) and was discovered after health officials noticed a sharp upsurge in new coronavirus (what is termed a second wave by the authorities) cases, especially among young people. 

The South African variant emerged in the Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape province, and has since spread rapidly and is now wreaking havoc in the country's Western Cape. 

After sequencing hundreds of virus samples since the start of the outbreak in the country, scientists started to notice "a particular variant has increasingly dominated the findings of the samples collected in the past two months," according to Minister of Health, Zwelini Mkhize. He also revealed that all findings have been passed on to the World Health Organization (WHO).

South African doctors also with alarm remarked that most new cases are younger persons who do not always have the comorbidities that would compromise a patient's immune system in fighting off the coronavirus. Younger and perceptively healthier patients are now suffering from more severe symptoms, it is believed, because of this new variant.

 Mkhize said the severe symptoms, "strongly suggests that the current second wave we are experiencing is being driven by this new variant."

According to the WHO, the mutation detected in the South African and England variant are similar and is a change in a certain amino acid in the virus.

In a statement the WHO said:

"One of the mutations identified (N501Y) is altering an amino acid within the six key residues in the receptor binding domain (RBD). According to the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID) database, this same receptor binding domain mutation (N501Y) has been independently reported in several countries including South Africa (n=45) and Australia (n=37). Sequence analysis revealed that N501Y mutation of the virus reported in the United Kingdom and South Africa originated separately."

As the statement says above, the mutation in the gene is the same for both, but the variant/mutation developed separately.

Variants of the coronavirus have regularly been identified and called to the attention of global health officials. This one (B.1. 351) is by far the most virulent.

Concerns that scientists have are: (1.) if the current group of vaccines can combat this new strain of the virus and also (2.) if persons who have already caught and recovered from Covid-19, can be reinfected by this variant.

Dr. Richard Lessells, a leading expert of infectious diseases in the country, revealed all was being done to study the new strain and answer these concerns.

"There are a few more concerns with our variant [than that in the UK] for the vaccine … But we are now doing the careful, methodical work in the lab to answer all the questions we have, and that takes time," he said.

Meanwhile, the South African health minister emphasized that social distancing, wearing face masks and washing your hands regularly were still the most effective ways of prevention from catching the virus.

Last year December (2020), the UK variant was detected in Denmark, The Netherlands and Australia, prompting over 40 countries in Europe, Asia, South America, the Caribbean and the Middle East to impose travel restrictions on persons from the United Kingdom, as well as persons travelling from South Africa. Jamaica had also imposed a travel ban on flights from the UK but ended April 30, 2021.

The South African strain, now called SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant, because of concerns about discrimination, has so far been detected in over 60 countries, including the United States. Scientists believe this variant is a real threat to vaccine efficacy, as I have already shown in a previous article. Stay safe folks! God bless!

References

WHO. 'SARS-CoV-2 Variant – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.' https://www.who.int/csr/don/21-december-2020-sars-cov2-variant-united-kingdom/en/

Sequencing - According to the CDC website: Genome sequencing reveals the sequence of the nucleotides in a gene, like alphabet letters in words. ... Comparing the composition of nucleotides in one virus gene with the order of nucleotides in a different virus gene can reveal variations between the two viruses. 'Influenza Virus Genome Sequencing and Genetic Characterization'. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/professionals/genetic-characterization.htm

Steinhauser, Gabriele. 'South Africa Covid-19 Strain: What We Know About the New Variant'. Wall Street Journal. Published 12 April 2021. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-new-covid-19-strain-in-south-africa-what-we-know-11609971229