South Africa: researchers detect the presence of a new Covid variant

Researchers in South Africa have detected a new variant of the coronavirus. The C.1.2 strain which has multiple mutations, has not yet been labelled as a variant of concern.

Cases of the variant have been recorded in all provinces in South Africa and seven countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania.

“The variant does not appear to be rising in circulation”, said Maria van Kerkhove, technical lead on Covid-19 for the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to Maria van Kekhove, the Delta variant was still dominant and the WHO would inform people if that changes.

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South Africa, hard hit by the pandemic with cases of the Delta and Beta variants, has recorded 2,770,575 cases of coronavirus including 81,830 deaths.