'No need to panic' as highly transmissible Covid variant reaches SA shores
The XBB.1.5 subvariant was detected by the University of Stellenbosch Network for Genomics Surveillance on Saturday is said to be the most transmissible to date.
"We need not to panic as a country, but we do need to learn from the past Covid waves," says South African Medical Association chairperson Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa.
The subvariant is currently the dominant strain in the United States and has been detected in at least 28 other countries.
Mzukwa says despite the call for the public not to panic, caution still needs to taken and large gatherings avoided.
"In terms of avoiding large gatherings but also making sure that spaces are well ventilated on top of that we need to vaccinate. So far vaccination has proved to be of assistance in avoiding hospitalisation and deaths, especially to those vulnerable."
The new subvariant leads to flu-like symptoms similar to the previous variants.
"It is flu-like symptoms where you would have symptoms like a sore throat, cough, fever or a runny nose but it is almost identical to the normal flu," adds Mzukwa.
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