“A new variant called B1.351 (also known as 501Y.V2) was first identified in samples taken from Nelson Mandela Bay (a metropolitan area in the Eastern Cape in South Africa) in early October.
Molecular data show that it could circulate from the end of August, ”the report says.
The department emphasized that "the rapid spread of this variant of the coronavirus in South Africa may indicate a higher infectiousness of the virus, although this has not yet been confirmed."
It is clarified that at the moment there is no evidence that would indicate that a new type of coronavirus leads to a more severe form of the disease.
Earlier, UK Health Minister Matt Hancock said that another new type of coronavirus infection, COVID-19, imported from the Republic of South Africa, was detected in the kingdom.