Covid-19: the appearance of the Indian variant in the country worries South Africa

A healthcare worker receives a dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine against Covid-19 at Steve Biko hospital in Pretoria, February 17, 2021. © AFP - PHILL MAGAKOE

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Four cases of the Indian variant of Covid-19 were detected this weekend in South Africa.

This country has been severely affected by the epidemic with 1.6 million people infected in one year and 55,000 deaths.

The authorities are calling not to panic, but the population is worried.

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The discovery of this new Indian variant is worrying because it coincides with the start of the winter season in the country and with an upsurge in the number of cases in recent days, especially around Johannesburg and Pretoria, which raises fears of a third wave.

According to the South African Minister of Health, two new variants have been detected in recent days: eleven cases of the British variant which do not seem to concern the authorities too much and four cases of this Indian variant detected in people recently arrived from India. , which worries more because there is little data on this variant.

Is it more contagious?

Does it cause a more severe form of the disease?

Especially since a large Indian community lives in South Africa and there is, therefore, a lot of contact between the two countries.

For now, the border between the two states is open but new travel restrictions are expected to be announced soon, according to the South African Minister of Health.

Efficacy of the vaccine against the new variant

This new variant raises the question of vaccination and its effectiveness in the face of this virus mutation.

In early February, South Africa had to suspend its vaccination campaign, which had just started, after a study found that the AstraZeneca vaccine then used by Pretoria was ineffective against the South African variant.

South Africa had to resell all of its vaccines.

Today, the country has resumed its vaccination campaign with two more vaccines and the question arises again.

Are they effective against this Indian variant?

For the moment, no answer.

For Professor Shabir Madhi, a South African virologist, mutations will always be a problem: "The

 longer we delay in vaccinating, the more the virus circulates and therefore is likely to mutate

 ", he specifies before adding that ' we must “ 

vaccinate as quickly as possible

 ”.

South Africa is behind in its vaccination.

Only 300,000 people are now vaccinated, which represents 0.5% of the population.

► To read also: Epidemic outbreak in India: what we know about the "Indian variant" of Covid-19

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