Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Scientists at south Africa detect variant Covid-19 the new one that has many mutations, namely B.1.1.529 or also called variant Botswana. The following knows the Botswana variant of Covid-19 and its symptoms.
The Botswana variant of Covid-19 is allegedly the cause of the high spread of cases in the country. The number of daily infections has increased 10-fold since the beginning of the month.
“We have detected a new variant of concern in South Africa,” virologist Tulio de Oliveira told a news conference.
The following knows the Botswana variant of Covid-19 and its symptoms.
This variant B.1.1529 from Botswana has 32 mutations in the spike protein portion of the virus. Even though this section is widely used by various vaccines to strengthen the immune system against Covid.
Thus, if there is a mutation in the spike protein, it can affect the ability of the virus to infect human cells and make it difficult for immune cells to attack pathogens.
Jacaranda FM reports that South African Medical Association (SAMA) chair Angelique Coetzee has indicated the variant is thought to have originated in an HIV-positive patient.
However, the number of cases in South Africa has not been a major concern as the fourth wave of Covid-19 is still looming.
Coetzee said despite a general spike in Covid-19 cases in the country, there was no spike in hospital admissions.
“What we do know is that since last week we have seen an increase in Covid-19 patients. Most of the symptoms are mild, and we haven’t seen a spike in hospital admissions,” he said, as quoted by the Jakarta Post. local media.
Scientists say the Botswana variant B.1.1.529 or Covid-19 has at least 10 mutations. This number is higher than the two mutations for the Delta variant and three mutations for the Beta variant.
“The concern is when you have so many mutations it can have an impact on the behavior of the virus,” said WHO technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove.
This variant has also been detected in Botswana and Hong Kong. This variant was brought by people from South Africa who visited the country.
WHO said it was currently monitoring the development of the reported variant. WHO will soon determine whether the variant is on the watch list.
After getting to know the Botswana variant of Covid-19, experts suggest that vaccinations can continue to run as protection equipped with health protocols.
“To limit its spread, you should be vaccinated, wear a mask, practice healthy hand hygiene, maintain social distancing, and gather in well-ventilated spaces,” Michelle Groome, an official with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), was quoted as saying. EuroNews.
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