New COVID 19 Variant Declared Variant of Concern

After the World Health Organization declared the new COVID 19 variant a "variant of concern" on November 16, the panicked travel industry responded by suspending travel to countries in southern Africa. This latest virus has a number of mutations and is harder to detect with current PCR tests. The outbreak has also raised concerns about the potential for reinfection. However, Penny Moore, a virologist at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, has said that the lab is racing to determine if it can help stop the spread of the disease.

The WHO said the new Covid virus is more highly transmissible than the older delta variant and might increase the risk of relapse. The WHO is recommending that all travelers avoid southern Africa. This precautionary measure is necessary because the disease can spread from one country to another, and it's hard to control its transmission. There are currently seven known "variants of concern" with varying degrees of transmission. The fast-spreading variant was detected in multiple countries, including South Africa.

While South Africa is relatively free of the disease, the number of cases has increased significantly in the past seven days. The World Health Organization has labeled the heavily mutated Covid-19 strain as a "variant of concern" due to its increased susceptibility to vaccines. The new Covid 19 strain carries an unusual constellation of mutations in the spike protein gene that binds to cells. According to Peacock, the high mutation count may be the reason for the disease's rapid growth.