A new Covid-19 variant named B.1.1.529 has recently been discovered in Botswana, raising concerns due to its “extremely high number of mutations,” according to the Mirror.
Scientists believe that the B.1.1.529 variant is the most evolved strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and may evade existing Covid-19 vaccines.
The B.1.1.529 variant, a branch of an older variant B.1.1, contains 32 mutations in the virus’s spike protein. It was first identified in Botswana and has also been found in South Africa and Hong Kong.
So far, only 10 cases of the B.1.1.529 variant have been detected through genetic sequencing. However, experts believe that its presence in three countries suggests it may be more widespread.
A healthcare worker administering the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in Francistown, Botswana.
The high number of mutations in the B.1.1.529 variant has raised alarm in the scientific community, as some mutations may help the virus evade the immune response.
Dr. Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London, who shared this finding on Twitter, described the presence of so many mutations in the variant as “terrifying.”
Dr. Peacock added that this variant could be “worse than any other variant,” including the currently dominant Delta variant, which has 16 mutations.
He wrote: “The emergence [of this new variant] in Asia suggests it could be more widespread than genetic sequencing has revealed. Additionally, the extremely high number of mutations indicates this variant could truly be concerning (predicted to escape most known monoclonal antibodies).”
To date, three cases of this variant have been identified in Botswana and six others in South Africa. The first cases in Botswana were detected on November 11.
The only case of this variant in Hong Kong involves a 36-year-old man who recently traveled to South Africa. He arrived in South Africa on October 23 and returned on November 11. This case has raised concerns that more individuals could be infected after traveling abroad.
The man tested negative upon returning to Hong Kong but received a positive result on November 13 while in quarantine at a hotel.
In South Africa, the national number of Covid-19 cases increased from 312 on Monday to over 860 on Tuesday, but scientists believe it is too early to determine whether this surge is related to the new “super variant.”
