Mkhize confirms ‘concerning’ new variant of Covid-19 in SA
The Department of Health says a new variant of the Covid-19 virus has been identified.
According to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize more than 90% of the genomes sampled in the past two months were dominated by the variant.
The sampling comes from at least 50 random clinics across the country.
Mkhize said the second wave and emerging trends are likely being driven by the new lineage.
“Clinicians have been providing anecdotal evidence of the shift in the clinical, epidemiological picture and in particular noting that they are seeing a larger proportion of younger patients with no comorbidities presenting with critical illness,” Mkhize explained on Friday evening.
“The evidence that has been collated therefore suggests that the current second wave we’re experiencing is therefore being driven by this new variant.”
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The 501.V2 strain has been found to be dominant in cases seen in the Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape, the Garden Route District in the Western Cape, several areas in KwaZulu-Natal and in Gauteng.
Mkhize added there is a likelihood the new variant will spread more rapidly.
But said the discovery of the new strain does not necessitate new regulations at this point
“What we have advised has been the way to deal with it needs to be emphasized that we need to loyally stick and adhere to this practice of non-pharmaceutical intervention.
“Many countries have experienced a second wave that was more severe than the first wave so we’re not different now to other countries, many countries have gone through what we have gone through.
“Even in countries that have not themselves reported a mutation we have seen that there has been an increase so in our case we are also seeing that that might be the case so we must gear up for a stronger fight against Covid-19,” Mkhize added.
He believes there is no need to change the current regulations in light of the new variant.
“The president has just recently announced more restrictions which are using the differentiated approach.
“We will keep to that, we are not proposing any new restrictions that are associated with this variant. This variant we are going to treat it as the Covid-19 that we’ve seen before until the scientists come with something new that we will make us.
“What the president has announced is what we are going to stick to.”
He admitted there is some cause for concern but vowed the country’s best minds would be tasked with researching the new lineage.
