RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The new variant, identified as C.1.2, was first detected in May and has now spread to most South African provinces and 7 other countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, according to research still to be peer-reviewed.
It contains many mutations associated with other variants with marked transmissibility and reduced sensitivity to neutralizing antibodies, but these occur in a different mix, and scientists are not yet sure how they affect the virus’ behavior. Laboratory tests are underway to determine how well the variant is neutralized by antibodies.
South Africa was the first country to detect the Beta variant, 1 of only 4 classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “variants of concern.”
The Beta variant is believed to spread more easily than the original version of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, and there are indications that vaccines are less effective against it, prompting some countries to restrict travel to and from South Africa.
Richard Lessells, an infectious disease expert and one of the authors of the research on C.1.2, said that its emergence shows that “this pandemic is far from over and that this virus is still exploring ways to potentially become better at infecting us.”
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