JOHANNESBURG (AP) –
South Africa has announced that a new variant of the COVID-19 virus is driving the current resurgence of the disease in the country, with a higher number of confirmed cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
The new variant, known as 501.V2, is dominant among newly confirmed infections in South Africa, according to health officials and scientists leading the country’s virus strategy.
“It is still very early, but at this stage the preliminary data suggests that the virus now dominating in the second wave is spreading faster than the first wave,” said Professor Salim Abdool Karim, chairman of the government’s Ministerial Advisory Committee. in a briefing to journalists.
South Africa could see “many more cases” in the new wave than in the first wave of the disease, Abdool Karim said.
In South Africa, more than 8,500 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, exceeding the previous record of 8,300 in August.
“We are seeing a much earlier and much sharper rise in the second wave or resurgence than we expected,” Prof Ian Sanne, a member of the advisory committee, told News24 in South Africa.
The new strain, unlike the one in Britain, appears to be more contagious than the original virus. South African scientists are investigating whether the vaccines against COVID-19 also protect against the new strain.
Some vaccines, including those developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, are undergoing clinical trials in South Africa.
The scientists who studied the new variant emphasized that preventive measures such as wearing masks and social detachment are essential.
In response to the resurgence of COVID-19, the South African government has introduced tougher lockdown restrictions, including limited days and hours for alcohol trafficking and the closure of beaches in areas identified as hotspots.
The 7-day moving average of daily new cases in South Africa has more than doubled in the past two weeks, from 6.47 new cases per 100,000 people on December 6 to 14.68 new cases per 100,000 people on December 20. increased the 7-day moving average of daily deaths in South Africa from 0.18 deaths per 100,000 people on December 6 to 0.34 deaths per 100,000 people on December 20.
The country has registered a total of 912,477 cases, including 24,539 deaths.
Abdool Karim and other experts have expressed concern that more people could become infected during the holiday season as many people travel and visit relatives.