The fastest-transmitted variant of the Coronavirus has been detected in South Africa. Maria Van Kerkhove, one of the COVID-19 technical leads at the World Health Organisation, said it is ‘the most transmissible sub-varient’ of the Omnicron varient.
The sub-variant is XBB.1.5 but has been ‘nicknamed the Kraken Variant by some for its ability to spread,’ reports News24.
Although the difference in severity between XBB.1.5 and previous variants is not significant, The WHO will be conducting further assessments to ascertain any other risks of this new variant.
Tulio de Olivier, head of a gene sequencing institute at Stellenbosch University, tweeted, ‘first XBB.1.5 detected in SA today by Stellenbosch University, Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa (NGS-SA). XBB.1.5 = 1% (1/97 of recent genomes). Isolate from 27-Dec-2022. Interesting, two others assigned as BA.2.75 with extra Spike F486P mutation.
‘At present, no increase in cases, hospitalisation or deaths. NGS-SA increasing genomics surveillance in South Africa. Our labs also support dozens of other African countries as part of Africa CDC PGI program.’
He and a team of researchers at Stellenbosch University discovered the gene from a 27 December sample.
News24 reports that it’s the dominant strain in America, and that it’s been dedicated in more than 28 other countries.
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